Barbara Pettibone, LCSW, CSW

Barbara Pettibone, LCSW, CSW, helps people facing the stresses that come with changing life stages. She focuses on practical ways to manage anxiety, grief, depression, caregiving strain, and the challenges of aging. Barbara speaks plainly and works with adults, young adults, and seniors to address problems that feel urgent now. She brings 46 years in mental health care, including time in inpatient psychiatric hospitals and outpatient settings. That experience gives her a broad view of common struggles and workable steps people can take. Her specialty centers on seniors and aging issues, such as loss, shifting relationships, and coping with health changes. Barbara believes the client sets the direction in therapy. She and the person seeking help identify clear goals together and decide on steps to reach them. She describes herself as honest, warm, and supportive, and says her role is to help people follow through on what they want to change. Her approach is flexible rather than fixed. She draws on attachment-based ideas, client-centered listening, cognitive behavioral techniques, dialectical behavior skills, emotionally-focused work, mindfulness, grief work, and behavioral strategies. She chooses tools that match the person and the problem. If someone wants to work through loss, relationship shifts, caregiver stress, or the pressures of aging, Barbara offers steady guidance and practical skills. She invites people to begin by clarifying what they want to change and then building a plan together.

How therapeutic approaches shape online care

Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on patterns in close relationships and helps people notice how past bonds affect current feelings and reactions. It can be useful for working through loss, caregiver strain, and attachment issues. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes listening and helping people set their own goals. The therapist follows the client's lead, offers empathy, and supports the person's decisions about change. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) teaches practical skills to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. It is often used for anxiety, depression, and managing stress or grief. Choosing an approach is a shared process. Barbara will work with each person to decide which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences. That choice can change over time as progress is made. Many people find online therapy helps fit sessions into a busy life by cutting travel time and making scheduling easier. Because the biography does not list specific session formats, confirm the available options before booking. Online sessions can make it simpler to check in between appointments, use shorter follow-ups when needed, or avoid commuting on a workday.