Get to know me

In our first session together, here's what you can expect

You can expect me to listen closely to you and ask you questions that help me begin to understand where to begin in our work together. You can expect me to help you feel comfortable, as first meetings aren't always easy. So I'll be weaving in both heart and head. I'll be listening for patterns and also 'light bulbs' that go off in my own mind. I've come to learn these are important to pay attention to. And, I think the most important result of a first session is for you, the client to walk away and say 'I want to continue talking to this counselor and i'm excited to talk with Barb again'.

The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions

As an active senior, and having worked with hundreds of clients for over 35 years now, I believe my greatest strengths are my work and life experience as well as my willingness to engage fully and authentically with my clients. Because I've successfully 'thought on my feet' in such a wide variety of circumstances, I am very confident I can either help you or direct you to someone who can. As a business owner, I am uniquely positioned to help new and later stage psychotherapists with the common mental health, relationship and physical health issues mental health professionals face. These issues predispose some therapists - who are already predisposed to certain mental health issues - to increased risk of overwhelm, burnout, anxiety, anger, depression and more. As a therapist myself I understand these issues well in addition to work-related stressors such as high caseloads, unrealistic expectations from management, frustration with an unappreciative employer who only focuses on what you do wrong, wearing too many hats as a solo therapist but unsure how to address it and more. As a person, I've been there, over working and being under paid. I've worked for managers who are poorly trained. That's ironic given that our field is helping, but I've experienced mental health companies as some of the most toxic to work for. This is unacceptable, but until we as individuals come together as a movement, don't expect working conditions to change. While it's reassuring to see more investment into mental health (thank you pandemic!), one of the downsides of the business world becoming more involved in behavioral health care is that some CEO's and managers don't practice what their providers preach. And sometimes, clinicians leave direct care work to go into management not armed with the skills needed to foster the growth and development of their staff. Many of these companies are finding it hard to retain us, as if we are healthy minded enough, we don't stay for the poor treatment. Sadly, too many do stay in these 'abusive' relationships. I understand if you are, those 'golden handcuffs' and 'coffins' aren't something to take lightly. In the U.S., it's tough to make a living since benefits like health insurance are so expensive and usually tied to staying with an employer. I am very tired of these dynamics, having worked in the field now for so long. And luckily I have found myself healthy (or crazy) enough to leave these types of relationships. If

The clients I'm best positioned to serve

I am currently focusing on a few specific issues... 1) Individuals who are experiencing stress and anxiety due to the demands of modern life, often on the job to the point they are experiencing mental health symptoms (sleep issues, fatigue, high anxiety and/or worries), weight gain or other health problems such as newly diagnosed pre-diabetes, diabetes, high blood pressure, relationship and/or work stress, performance issues, conflicts etc. Perhaps you are very unhappy on your current job. Maybe you've been displaced or am concerned about your status given DOGE cuts, or you've been recently diagnosed with a stress-related disorder and you know work has played a part. In particular work burnout and stress is a huge issue right now. As I mentioned earlier, company loyalty no longer exists and companies hire only per project and/or short term need these days. Jobs tend to be boring and repetitive and many go on to gig work to be able to be more fulfilled, which comes with it's own set of risks. While I counsel anyone in this situation I am also focusing on...Psychotherapists who are feeling burned out from the mental and physical stress of their work and/or career and know they need a change. My ideal clients are conscientious, stressed out healthcare professionals. I intimately understand the toxic workplaces many of us have worked in/work in because I've been there. It is well known that the health care system is broken for patients, and it needs to become better understood how the system harms it's 'golden geese', that is those who provide the care as well as how to help providers become healthier, so that they can continue to take great care in their work in spite of the system's issues. 2) Individuals in the midst of family estrangement, who are seeking support including reconciliation if possible. Family estrangement is more and more an issue in modern life. Why? Because individualism has become more prominent. In my therapist shoes I don't take a side here, but I feel the pain of both sides. Personally, I myself know that at an important developmental time, which for me was late adolescence, I needed to 'break away', at least for a time. So I have some understanding of this issue. Parent/child relationships are complex, especially when the emerging adult is transitioning into full adulthood and what is 'full adulthood' is defined differently today than what it was in their parent's day.