Dr. Carla Barnes , LPC

Dr. Carla Barnes began her professional life in education more than 25 years ago and has since built a career that spans teaching, school counseling, and mental health care. She practices as a mental health professional and as a professional school counselor, bringing decades of experience working with children, families, and adults in educational and clinical settings.

She emphasizes the importance of self-care, mental health, nutrition, and overall wellness as central to quality of life. Her training includes an advanced degree - a Master of Science in Nutrition - and certification in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), a therapeutic method used to address traumatic memories. In addition, she is a certified school teacher and holds the LPC credential; LPC denotes Licensed Professional Counselor, a statewide license to provide counseling services.

Dr. Barnes advocates for a holistic approach to well-being that attends to physical, emotional, social, and spiritual dimensions. That perspective guides her clinical work and informs how she supports clients in developing practical self-care routines, coping strategies, and goals for healthier living.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Dr. Barnes uses approaches that blend relational insight with practical skills. Attachment-Based Therapy explores how early relationships shape current patterns of connection and can help with difficulties in trust, intimacy, and attachment-related concerns. Client-Centered Therapy focuses on the client's own goals and strengths, offering a supportive, nonjudgmental space to build self-awareness and personal growth. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps people identify and shift unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors, making it useful for anxiety, depression, and stress-related problems.

Finding the right combination of approaches is a collaborative process. Dr. Barnes works with each person to assess needs, goals, and preferences and tailors treatment plans so the chosen methods fit the individual rather than forcing a single model.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility by allowing work to happen via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit sessions into busy schedules, continue care from different locations, and access licensed professionals without geographic constraints, while preserving the therapeutic relationship and progress.