I am a Licensed Professional Counselor and Supervisor, practicing in Austin, Texas since 2013.

My passion is creating relational experiences, through psychotherapy and other modalities, that deepen my client’s relationship with themselves and promote healing at emotional, mental, relational and spiritual levels.

Before becoming a therapist, I owned and operated a restaurant in the late 90's and had a career in Information Technology. I am a mother, step-mother and grandmother, animal lover and immersive cook. Born in Dallas, Texas in January 1968, I am the oldest of 5 children, raised mostly in Dallas, except for a few years of high school in Italy and college in Switzerland and Washington DC. 

I moved to Austin, Texas in December, 1989 and never left.  My personal symbol is the lightening bolt, for a lot of reasons. My favorite movie is The Fifth Element. I'm an optimist. I believe in great mystery. And I look forward to knowing you.

I am not a passive or quiet therapist. I am engaged, non-judgmental, curious, challenging when necessary, and deeply compassionate. I am able to listen actively and carefully, and to honor your pace and boundaries, without letting you avoid the work. My approach is natural and contextual. I try to avoid pathologizing labels and branded methodologies. My specialized training is in clinical hypnosis, though I do not use it with all clients.

Theoretically, my approach encompasses existential, humanistic, constructivist, attachment and cogntive-behavioral positions, with special interest in parts-theory (IFS-adjacent) and the natural process of maturing. I also have deep personal and professional experience working with grief.

While I offer alternative modalities (types of energy work mostly), the majority of my practice is straight-ahead psychotherapy, where the therapeutic relationship is the platform for healing, growth and change. In other words, if you don’t vibe with the spiritual stuff, that’s fine with me.

Holistic Therapy refers to alternative and complementary therapies such as Past Life Regression, Sound Baths and Guided Meditation. As a licensed psychotherapist, I am well aware that you can only get so far with talk therapy. It can help to go deeper into the realm of the unknown.

I am devoted to helping my clients access deep inner knowing, and be liberated from fear and the illusion of separateness. I have no agenda in terms of my clients’ beliefs. 

As with my psychotherapy practice, I am not a passive or quiet therapist. I am engaged, non-judgmental, curious, challenging when necessary, and deeply compassionate. I am able to listen actively and carefully, and to honor your pace and boundaries, without letting you avoid the work. My approach is natural and contextual.

My Beliefs

We tend to become more flexible about our beliefs over the course of our lives, and more humble about how much we don't know. I certainly have.

It is my experience that while beliefs can come with a certain amount of logical doubt, they can give way to a sense of KNOWING that is beyond doubt. 

What I have come to know beyond doubt are big, broad things: that I am more than my physical body, that I am loved, that I am never alone, that nothing is really separate, that only the body can die. 

For me, these Knowings are not dogmatic; they are liberating, not constraining.  Each of us must come to our own Knowing.

I was raised in the U.S. and Italy in a Roman Catholic family and attended Catholic schools, but I am not aligned with any particular religious tradition, community or practice, and I have no agenda regarding your beliefs.  I personally like what Gandhi said: "I am a Muslim, and a Hindu, and a Christian and a Jew, and so are all of you."​ 

While I do not belong to any particular tradition, I do have a vibrant personal spiritual practice, which includes powerful spiritual hygiene within my own being and within my home, living and work spaces.

My fees are all based on an hourly rate of $225 for individuals, and $275 for couples, with variations for half-sessions and 90-minute sessions. I do offer sliding scale. See below. I do not file insurance, but can offer you a superbill for out-of-network filing. See Cancellation Policy (below) for all appointment types.

PSYCHOTHERAPY

• Initial Consult are $125 / 25 min for individuals and $150 / 25 min for Couples. 50-minute Consults are also available.

• Individual Therapy / Hypnosis Sessions are $225 / 50 min

• Couple / Family Therapy Sessions are $275 / 50 min, even when only one member of the couple is present for a session

• Talk to Barbara about 90-minute sessions or in-home sessions.

PAST LIFE REGRESSION

• Required Initial Consult - PLR is $125 / 25 min

• Past Life Regression is $450 / 110 min

• Talk to Barbara about in-home sessions.

SOUNDBATH MEDITATIONS

• Soundbath Meditations are $50 / 75 min

SLIDING SCALE AND INSURANCE

• I do have a sliding scale policy, based on need and frequency, discussed during your consult. Sliding scale fees are $125 - $150 - $175 / 50 min

• I do not offer a discount / sliding scale on the required initial consult

• I am not in-network for any health insurance, but depending on your coverage, you can file for out-of-network reimbursement. Ask me for a Superbill.

ONLINE BOOKING

• Online booking requires pre-payment. Established clients may book directly with me and not be charged until the end of the session.

• Initial consults require pre-payment at time of booking.

I keep a strict cancellation policy. If you cannot make your session for any reason, and do not notify me within the required timeframe (see below), you will be charged the full fee on the day of the missed or late-canceled appointment. You are welcome to switch to zoom if you are delayed. I may be able to fit you in for a make-up session within the following 7 calendar days, subject to availability.

• 50-minute sessions have a 24-hour full-fee cancellation policy.

• 90-minute and 110-minute sessions have a 48-hour full-fee cancellation policy.

• 3-hours+ sessions 72-hour full-fee cancellation policy.

• Soundbath Meditations require 24-hour cancellation to receive a refund, and cannot be moved to another date.