I am looking forward to meeting and working with you– whether you are in the beginning stages of change (feeling unsure about the benefits of therapy), or whether you have a definite goal in mind and a readiness to dive into the exploration of yourself.
With a background in education, I enjoy teaching practical skills for enhancing quality of life. Oftentimes, we get stuck in different stages of our lives, and it can take outside help to break negative patterns. I specialize in family relational problems and love working with young children and teens.
I have a separate building at my residence which enables me to practice differently from others who may be renting an office with limited space and scope; I offer a separate space for adults as well as a playroom for children. My nature therapy yard includes animals and gardens.
Special Qualifications
Certified Hypnotherapist
Barbara is an expert at using hypnosis for practical issues such as fears/phobias, sleep problems, weight loss, smoking cessation, trauma, and addiction. She also employs hypnosis for Gestalt Dreamwork, enhancing sports performance, and teaching self-hypnosis to accelerate the benefits of the process.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing EMDR
EMDR is an important treatment method for treatment of Trauma/PTSD. Often clients are wary of talking about their traumatic experience. Bilateral stimulation a key feature of EMDR, which helps the client reprocess painful and traumatic memories and decreases psychological arousal associated with the memory.
Mindfulness Therapies
Cognitive Behavioral CBT, Dialectic Behavioral DBT, and Acceptance Therapy ACT use mindfulness as a primary tool in helping the client overcome negative thought and behavior patterns. Mindfulness practices have a wide-range of neurological benefits, including attentional and emotional self-regulation. Barbara utilizes a mindfulness protocol that is specifically tailored to each client.
Play Therapy
Play is a powerful factor in helping children express and communicate complex emotions. Young children often do not have the ability to articulate their inner turmoil. When a child does not know how to label a feeling such as frustration, fear, or disappointment, he or she may channel emotional energy in unhealthy ways. Examples include disruptive behavior and difficulty socializing or concentrating. Play therapy helps the child label and work through troubling emotions.
Special Master for Divorced/Divorcing Couples
Clients can spend time together working on custody disputes or any other disagreements with a Special Master. In this way, clients avoid spending unnecessary money on lawyer’s fees. With her extensive knowledge of child development, Barbara seeks to identify arrangements that best serve the child.