My name is Carolyn Barker.  I'm a qualified counsellor (Dip. Professional Counselling) and have been counselling people with anxiety disorders since 1987. I'm also a qualified member of the Australian Counselling Association.

My interest in anxiety disorders comes from having recovered from an anxiety disorder myself. As a counsellor, I believe my personal history gives me a unique insight into the recovery process.

If nothing else, life has taught me that if we can see difficulties in our life as challenges, rather than barriers, we can face them with renewed strength and a trust in our ability to eventually succeed. That while a situation might test us, sometimes to the point of becoming anxious or depressed, the human spirit is strong and resilient.

This is my story

Note: My story begins before anxiety disorders were included in the diagnostic manual in the early 1990s. Up until then, people like myself were treated for depression while any anxiety remained unaddressed. 

I had my first panic attack at age 10. Probably not surprising given that I was a shy child raised in a dysfunctional family. I was also a victim of bullying in primary school. Life was stressful. Frequent panic attacks, sometimes 10 to 20 a day, made school life very difficult. It was hard to concentrate during rolling attacks of panic, nausea, palpitations and dizziness.

I left secondary school as soon as it was legally possible. I never told my family what had been happening to me. I was too embarrassed. I'd never heard the words 'panic attack' and didn't know what they were.  Besides, I had no reason to think talking to my parents would be met with sympathy or support. As a teenager I made my first of three suicide attempts, an overdose of over-the-counter sleeping pills. Although I was unconscious for 24 hours, no doctor was called. No-one talked about it later.

Over the next twenty years I tried to get help. I had some periods of improvement, but when daily panic attacks returned, so did the depression. I had two hospitalisations at my own request, one due to a manic episode triggered by medication.  I attempted suicide twice more. Surprisingly I managed to hold down an office job, get married and have three children while riding this rollercoaster.

In those twenty years I saw quite a few psychiatrists. I never felt as if they really understood how difficult it was to live with this condition, nor was any practical advice offered.  Ironically it was not a mental health professional, but a woman who'd already recovered who enabled me to get my life on track.

At the time (the late 1980's) there were no dedicated services for people experiencing panic attacks or an anxiety disorder. Not only did sufferers and their families need services, support and information; the community needed to be educated about the impact of chronic anxiety.

The following is an outline of my contribution:

Co-founder of the Panic Anxiety Disorder Association (PADA SA) the first self help organisation in Australia Liaison Officer to South Australian government mental health services Founding member of the Anxiety Disorders Foundation of Australia Former national advocate for people with anxiety disorders Assisted in the establishment of Panic Anxiety Disorder Associations in Victoria, Western Australia and Northern Territory Assisted in the establishment of the Anxiety Disorders Foundation of Australia in New South Wales and Northern Territory Representative during the formation of the Mental Health Coalition of South Australia

Since going into private practice many of my clients have echoed the same words as the hundreds of others during my PADA years.  Like me before them, they expressed an appreciation of finally finding a counsellor who'd had a similar experience.  This applies equally to an anxiety disorder or any number of other problems. It constantly reinforces that true understanding only comes from having "walked a mile in my shoes".   I find one of the advantages of being a mature-aged counsellor is that I have a lot of life experience to draw from, in addition to my professional training. 

What can I offer as your counsellor?

I can offer genuine caring and respect for you and your life's journey so far. I feel the experience I've gained through having successfully met challenges in my own life, enable me to respond to clients with empathy and compassion. I use gentle guidance to help you discover a solution that fits with your values and goals.

As a professional counsellor I am subject to regular supervision. I also participate in ongoing professional development that ensures my skills and knowledge are continuously updated to meet current professional and ethical standards.

Things I enjoy

Apart from the satisfaction derived from my counselling practice, I enjoy expressing my creativity through writing poetry, short stories and screenplays, as well as being an amateur artist and photographer. My three children are now adults, pursuing their own aspirations. At 56 years old I look forward to the next stage of life as a grandparent and the pleasures of being able to dote over babies without the responsibilities of parenthood!

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