01 · Who Philicia works with

Philicia works with stress, Anxiety, addictions and trauma and abuse

Philicia lists 16 specialisms and 25 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Philicia chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Philicia's own words

What Philicia says about the work

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

Have you ever wished for a space where you could slow down, breathe, and feel truly seen? That’s the kind of space I strive to create.

I’m Philicia Barbieri, a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CAADC). At my core, I believe every person has the ability to create their own meaning and purpose. My work is grounded in an existential approach that honors your individuality and your natural capacity to build a rich, fulfilling life.

I’ve been in the field since 2013, supporting individuals through addiction recovery, mental health challenges, and major life transitions. My experience includes crisis counseling, community-based work, and group therapy, all of which shape my open and accepting style. I meet you where you are and walk with you toward the changes you want to make.

I am trauma-informed and trained in EMDR, which means I bring a gentle, evidence-based approach to healing trauma and distress. I help clients safely process experiences that feel “stuck,” rebuild a sense of internal safety, and move forward with greater clarity and resilience.

Alongside my counseling work, I’m also a certified yoga instructor. Mindfulness, meditation, and yoga often weave into my sessions as grounding tools to support recovery, emotional regulation, and deeper self-awareness.

I work with adults and couples, offering individual and relationship therapy using cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and a compassionate, human-centered approach. I support people navigating depression, anxiety, trauma, and mild to severe substance use concerns.

I received my Master’s in Professional Counseling from Carlow University in 2015.

When I’m not working, you’ll usually find me on my yoga mat, out on a walk, or relaxing at home with my husband and our three dogs.

Philicia Barbieri, on the BetterHelp listing · read 7 Nov 2026

03 · How Philicia works

The 7 approaches Philicia lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Philicia lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Philicia'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 Philicia runs a session.

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.

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.

Eye Movement Desensitisation and ReprocessingEMDR

A structured trauma protocol in which you hold a distressing memory in mind while following a repeated side-to-side cue. The mechanism is still debated; the outcome data in post-traumatic stress is strong enough that it appears in national treatment guidelines.

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.

Motivational InterviewingMI

A way of talking about change with somebody who is genuinely in two minds about it. The therapist does not argue for the change; they help you say your own reasons out loud, which is the part that predicts whether it happens. Common around substance use and health behaviour.

Solution-Focused Brief TherapySFBT

Starts from where you want to end up rather than from how you got here. Sessions look for the times the problem is already smaller and work out what is different about those, so the number of sessions tends to be short and the work concrete.

Trauma-Focused TherapyTF-CBT · trauma-informed

CBT adapted for people whose difficulty is rooted in a frightening or overwhelming event. Pacing is the point: safety and stabilisation come first, the memory itself is approached gradually and only when you are ready, and the aim is that recalling it stops hijacking the present.

Also listed

• Somatic Therapy

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Philicia 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 Philicia'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 Philicia at this point.

2. Naming Philicia specifically

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

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

2 questions worth asking Philicia

Built from what Philicia actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Philicia's - Philicia 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.

• “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

Pennsylvania

Licence

FL LMHC MH26995, PA LPC PC011497

Licence number

PC011497

Licence expires

28 Feb 2027

NPI

1659824761

Years in practice

10

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Accepted

Listed since

9 Jun 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Philicia'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 Nov 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 Philicia. 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.