01 · Who Barbara works with

Barbara works with stress, Anxiety, grief and depression

Barbara lists 9 specialisms and 12 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Barbara chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Barbara's own words

What Barbara says about the work

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

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in the Commonwealth of VA with over 25 years experience working with those challenged with emotional, grief, loss, and life altering and changing experiences that we all face at some point in our lives. Being human is not unique but how one copes and works through difficult experiences is. I have worked with many people of all ages, children, adolescents, adults and geriatrics in a variety of settings with differing challenges. The bottom line is we all struggle and we all deserve an opportunity to grasp the strength inside ourselves, to empower ourselves to move in ways that are more productive, more life affirming and accepting of who we are and where we hope to go.

I utilize methods that suit each individual while addressing needs, but also stretching comfort zones which is how we break out of our routines that got us into the difficulties we experience. It is difficult to ask for help, and reaching out can be very rewarding. I am here when you feel it is your time to reach out.

Barbara Brown, on the BetterHelp listing · read 7 Oct 2026

03 · How Barbara works

The 4 approaches Barbara lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Barbara lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Barbara'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 Barbara 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”.

Emotionally Focused TherapyEFT

Built for couples and rooted in attachment: the recurring argument is treated as a cycle two people are stuck in rather than as one person's fault. Sessions work to interrupt the cycle and get to what each person is actually asking for underneath it.

Mindfulness-Based TherapyMBCT

Trains attention on what is happening right now - body, breath, the thought as it arrives - so distress can be observed rather than automatically acted on. Strongest evidence is in preventing depression from recurring, and it is usually taught as a practice you keep doing outside the session.

Narrative Therapy

Treats the story you tell about your life as something that can be examined and retold rather than as the plain facts. Separates the person from the problem - “the anxiety” rather than “your anxiety” - to make room for the parts the current story leaves out.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Barbara 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 Barbara'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 Barbara at this point.

2. Naming Barbara specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Barbara 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 Barbara.

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 Barbara

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

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “With 29 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

LPC

Licensed in

Virginia

Licence

VA LPC 0701003654

Licence number

0701003654

Licence expires

30 Jun 2027

NPI

1235193368

Years in practice

29

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Barbara'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 7 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 Barbara. 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.