Barbara Kirkman, LPC

Barbara Kirkman is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with four decades of experience supporting people through addiction, mood difficulties, and trauma. She draws on her own recovery experience to guide conversations about change and healing. Her approach centers on listening and helping each person find practical ways forward.

Barbara returned to school to complete a master’s degree in counseling psychology after her own recovery, and she has worked in inpatient and outpatient settings. Early roles included work at a recovery center and as an aftercare supervisor helping people maintain early sobriety. She later counseled clients at a community mental health agency where she supported people with depression, anxiety, trauma, and serious mental health concerns.

Her work focuses on everyday struggles such as stress, grief, relationship strain, and sleep or eating problems. She also helps people coping with addictions, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and the emotional impacts of domestic abuse. Aging and geriatric issues are included among her additional focus areas.

Barbara uses Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Mindfulness Therapy to help people notice unhelpful patterns, test new ways of coping, and build small sustainable changes. She talks with people about goals and practical steps rather than relying on jargon.

Hours are mostly daytime with some evenings and weekends, and she aims to be flexible when arranging appointments. To begin, people complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule sessions according to therapist availability.

How these approaches translate to online therapy

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and building a trusting therapeutic relationship. In practice this means the therapist follows the client’s lead, reflects what is said, and helps people clarify their own goals and values. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts and behaviors link to feelings and uses practical exercises to test new ways of thinking and acting; it can help with anxiety, depression, and patterns linked to addiction. Mindfulness Therapy teaches simple attention and breathing practices to reduce reactivity and build calm while noticing present-moment experience.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what has helped or not helped in the past. Together they will try out strategies and adapt the plan as needed rather than sticking to one fixed method.

Specific session formats are not listed in the biography, so please confirm current options before booking. Online work can make scheduling easier and help sessions fit into busy days. It can also allow shorter check-ins, let people avoid travel time, and make it simpler to maintain continuity when life changes. Licensed professionals use the same clinical approaches online as they do in person, focusing on practical steps you can try between sessions.