01 · Who Aileen works with

Aileen works with stress, Anxiety, self esteem and depression

Aileen lists 5 specialisms and 27 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Aileen chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Aileen's own words

What Aileen says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

I am licensed in Iowa with 17 years of professional counseling experience. I primarily use Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). I have experience in helping clients deal with stress and anxiety, motivation, self-esteem and self-confidence, depression and coping with life changes. I also have extensive experience working with adults with attention deficit disorder (ADHD). I believe you are the expert of your story and you have many strengths that will assist you in overcoming challenges. I will help you identify your strengths and then we will work together so you can learn how to use those strengths to resolve your challenges. It takes courage to seek out a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps toward change. I am here to support and empower you on that journey.

Aileen Barnhouse, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Aileen works

The 2 approaches Aileen lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Aileen lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Aileen's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Aileen runs a session.

Client-Centred TherapyPerson-centred · Rogerian

The therapist does not steer toward a technique or a diagnosis. They offer sustained, non-judgemental attention and reflect back what they hear, on the premise that people find their own direction when they are genuinely listened to. Often what people mean by “someone who just gets it”.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Aileen practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Aileen's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Aileen at this point.

2. Naming Aileen specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Aileen is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Aileen.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

3 questions worth asking Aileen

Built from what Aileen actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Aileen's - Aileen has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Client-Centred Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “With 17 years in, what has changed most in how you work?”

  Long experience is only an advantage if it has been examined. This tends to surface whether it has.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LMHC

Licensed in

Iowa

Licence

IA LMHC 00869

Licence number

00869

Licence expires

30 Sep 2028

NPI

1366586539

Years in practice

17

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

9 Jun 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Aileen's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 9 Oct 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Aileen. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.