Kim Barden

Does your mind keep replaying conversations, imagining what might go wrong or telling you that you should be coping better? Perhaps you understand logically why you feel anxious or stuck, yet automatic thoughts, emotions or reactions still take over.

You may feel exhausted by overthinking, self-doubt or emotional overwhelm. You might keep repeating the same patterns despite trying hard to change them, or find that reassurance and positive thinking only help temporarily.

I’m Kim Barden, an Advanced BWRT® Practitioner, Clinical Hypnotherapist and APHP Accredited Supervisor based in Guildford, Surrey. I offer confidential therapy to adults online and in person.

For more than ten years, I have helped people work through anxiety, panic attacks, fears, intrusive thoughts, trauma-related responses, confidence difficulties and patterns of self-sabotage. Alongside my private practice, I provide voluntary therapeutic support within an NHS cancer-support setting, helping people manage the emotional impact of diagnosis, treatment and uncertainty.

Many of the people who come to me already understand their difficulties intellectually. The problem is not a lack of insight or effort. It is that the unwanted response happens automatically, before conscious reasoning can stop it.

My approach is calm, practical and focused on the change you want to achieve. I primarily use BrainWorking Recursive Therapy® and clinical hypnotherapy, selecting the approach according to your needs rather than applying the same process to everyone.

You remain aware and in control throughout. The work does not require you to repeatedly revisit or describe distressing experiences in detail. We begin by understanding what is happening, how it affects your life and what you would like to be different.

Whether you are dealing with one specific fear or several connected, longer-standing difficulties, my aim is to help you feel calmer, more confident and better able to choose how you think, feel and respond.

I am a qualified Clinical Hypnotherapist, Advanced BWRT® Practitioner, APHP Accredited Supervisor and BWRT® Peer Group Leader, with a BA (Hons) and more than ten years of therapeutic training and practice.

Since qualifying in hypnotherapy and coaching in 2013, I have continued to develop my practice through advanced training in BrainWorking Recursive Therapy®, NLP and a wide range of focused therapeutic approaches. I work with adults both online and in person from my practice in Guildford, Surrey.

My clinical experience includes supporting clients with anxiety, panic attacks, health anxiety, phobias, intrusive thoughts, emotional overwhelm, trauma-related responses, anger, low confidence, procrastination, self-sabotage and difficulties associated with symptoms of ADHD. I also work with clients experiencing anxiety and emotional distress connected with relationships, major life changes, serious illness and uncertainty.

Alongside my private practice, I provide voluntary therapeutic support within an NHS cancer-support setting. This involves helping people manage concerns including fear surrounding diagnosis and treatment, scan anxiety, medical procedures, fear of recurrence, sleep difficulties, loss of confidence and the wider emotional effects of living with cancer.

As an APHP Accredited Supervisor, I support qualified hypnotherapists with reflective practice, ethical decision-making, professional boundaries, challenging client work and their continuing professional development. I also lead a peer group for BWRT® practitioners, providing opportunities for professional discussion, shared learning and peer support.

My core training includes:

* Diploma in Hypnotherapy and Coaching

* Advanced BWRT® Practitioner, Levels 1 and 2

* NLP Practitioner training

* Level 3 Counselling studies

* APHP supervision training

* Working with Symptoms of ADHD

* Specialist training relating to OCD and eating disorders

* BWRT® Plus

* Neural Manifestation

* Major Life Reset

* Thanatophobia and health-related fears

* Anger, relationships and emotional resilience

* Safeguarding and mental health awareness

I undertake regular continuing professional development to ensure that my work remains current, responsible and appropriate to each client’s needs.

I am a member of the Association for Professional Hypnosis and Psychotherapy and the Institute of BrainWorking Recursive Therapy. I am appropriately insured, registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office and DBS checked.

You may know that a fear or reaction is irrational, yet still feel unable to prevent it. My work focuses particularly on the automatic thoughts, emotions and behaviours that continue despite logic, reassurance or determination.

I commonly support adults experiencing:

* Anxiety, panic attacks and persistent worry

* Health anxiety and fear of illness

* Overthinking and intrusive thoughts

* Phobias and specific fears

* Stress and emotional overwhelm

* Trauma-related responses

* Confidence difficulties and self-doubt

* Procrastination and self-sabotaging patterns

* Unhelpful habits and emotional triggers

* Difficulties associated with symptoms of ADHD

* Fear connected with cancer diagnosis, treatment or recurrence

These difficulties often overlap. You do not need to arrive with a diagnosis or know exactly what kind of therapy you need. We will begin by identifying what is happening, how it affects your life and what you would like to be different.

My approach is focused, collaborative and practical. We begin by discussing what is happening, how it affects you and the change you would like to achieve. I will then recommend an approach suited to your individual needs rather than applying the same process to every client.

I primarily use BrainWorking Recursive Therapy® (BWRT®) and clinical hypnotherapy. BWRT® works with rapid, automatic responses that can arise before conscious thought has had time to intervene. Hypnotherapy can help address the subconscious patterns involved in emotions, habits and behaviour.

You remain fully aware and in control throughout. You will not be made to disclose anything unnecessarily, and the work does not depend on repeatedly describing or reliving distressing experiences in detail.

Sessions are structured around a clear therapeutic objective, while allowing the work to develop at a pace appropriate for you. Some focused difficulties may require only a small number of sessions. More complex or long-standing patterns may benefit from a structured programme of therapy.

My aim is to help you create meaningful change that carries into everyday life, so that you feel calmer, more confident and better able to choose how you respond.