Hi, I'm Barbara! I'm a warm-hearted and compassionate soul and been working in the mental health field for over 20 years. Helping you find real, solid, meaningful and/or tangible solutions to issues and problems is my commitment to you. You can start a new journey towards health and wellness today! Through the process of changing your perspective, letting go of old burdens, guarding against unhealthy habits, adopting a new credo, and re-inventing yourself, you too can learn to enjoy life again. The simplest things often make the difference. All it takes is a little bit of courage on your part. I'm licensed in the State of Virginia and worked with children and adults, and folks from all different walks of life over the course of my career. I've spent much of it helping others who were in the middle of a major life crisis, and I can help you, too!
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
If you have something pressing you need to discuss, go for it! It's all about your comfort level. Some people know what they want to discuss during their first session, because they have issues that have come to the forefront. Then again, I've met many people who have been holding onto a story for 10 years (it could be a past hurt, a trauma or event that affected them), and they've not discussed it with anyone, until they felt genuinely safe enough to share it with a compassionate counselor. Otherwise, we'll spend the first session getting acquainted and begin the journey of rapport-building, information gathering, and ultimately healing.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
The diagnosis and assessment of specific mental, intellectual and substance abuse disorders is my specialty. In the course of my career, I've interviewed and worked with people from all walks of life, including those with rare disorders. Perhaps you're wondering if you even have a diagnosis? Perhaps you're looking for a second opinion? I can help you! At the very least, I can help you find the resources you need and get you pointed in the right direction. And, if for whatever reason you would be better served working with another provider that specializes in overcoming whatever particular challenges you're having, I will personally refer you. Hopefully, we can work on a specialized treatment plan that fits your needs and we can work together. From there, I will encourage you on a journey to discover your own self-worth and potential. And along the way, we may employ some unorthodox and forward-thinking in order to get past life's obstacles. On a more personal note, I was educated at all religious schools, and have found over the years that our spiritual development and growth are just as important as our physical, mental and emotional needs.
About Barbara Andrieu, LPC/LMHP
Appointments
Virtual
My treatment methods
Solution Focused Brief Treatment
People experiencing crises are frequently looking for answers in the moment. In today's fast-paced world, they need to find the answers quickly and efficiently, as it may not be either wise financially or timely to invest in longer-term therapy. Solution-Focused Brief Treatment is a quick and efficient way to get to the core of whatever challenges you might be experiencing. It consists of identifying the challenges the client is having and begin developing solutions by examining the dynamics of the issues involved and looking at short-term and longer-term solutions for the problem. Identifying the client's personal strengths, their approach to problem solving, and examining other life experiences that have led them to overcome challenges in the past will be part of the exercise. Identifying necessary resources needed to find workable, manageable and sustainable solutions that they can implement going forward will be part of the process. Further, Identifying and discussing times when the client successfully coped with or addressed previous difficulties and challenges is an important ingredient. Lastly, client and therapist consistently collaborate towards sustainability in identifying goals reflective of the client's hopes in developing satisfying solutions, for a brighter future!
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has been implemented and employed successfully, in a number of different ways, in countless situations to treat various behavioral health issues. CBT examines the link between our emotions, thinking and behavior.
The basic way it works: A therapist starts by working with the client to identify stressful situations in their life or triggers (such as anxiety, depression or other MH issues the client is having). Then, they might work with the therapist to start to examine their thoughts and beliefs about those things, and how those are affecting their feelings and behavior. Once the individual has cultivated an awareness of their thoughts and feelings, the therapist might then work with them to identify biases or inaccurate perceptions in their thought patterns that aren’t helping, and try to reframe those into thoughts that are more in line with their long-term goals.
Interpersonal
Interpersonal psychotherapy is one of the most dynamic and life-changing experiences a person can have. I've studied and used Gestalt and/ or Humanistic approaches. Many people have been helped by just giving rise verbally to their own unspoken feelings and thoughts that may have been repressed or have otherwise gone unacknowledged. Clients need a safe environment in which to express their sentiments, and professionals to listen openly and not judge, and then help offer direction, support, advice and compassion during difficult times. I think Fritz Perls said it best when he stated that it's not so much about what happened to you a long time ago, as much as what is going on in the present. This is somewhat surprising to most people, because it doesn't match up to their preconceived notions about what traditional psychotherapy or psychoanalysis looks like. Psychoanalysts put the predominance of significance on whatever happened in the past. However, it's frequently the case that whatever is going on in the present can have more impact in a person's life, simply because it's about what is going on right now. So, what's been going on in your life lately? And how would you like it to be better or different? Are there any challenges you need to overcome?
