How Barbara works
Practical facts
- Credentials
- LCSW, CSW
- Licensed in
- Colorado
- Years in practice
- 46
- Languages
- English
- Session format
- Online, through our partner platform
About Barbara
Barbara Pettibone is a licensed clinical social worker with a long history in mental health care. She brings clarity and steady support to people facing stress, grief, anger, depression, and life transitions. Her style is direct and warm, and she centers each session on the person who sought help.
She has worked for decades in both inpatient psychiatric hospitals and outpatient settings. That background gives her familiarity with sudden crises, chronic conditions, and the practical needs of older adults.
Background and approach
Barbara has particular experience addressing the changes that come with aging, including loss, shifting relationships, and health challenges. Barbara believes the client is in charge of therapy. She helps people define the problems they want to address and set realistic goals.
Sessions focus on clear steps and honest discussion while honoring a person’s values and preferences. Her approach draws from several methods. She uses attachment-based ideas to improve important relationships and emotionally-focused ideas to name and shift painful feelings.
Cognitive behavioral strategies and dialectical behavior skills provide tools for managing strong emotions and changing unhelpful patterns. People can expect a collaborative tone, practical tools, and a caring presence. Barbara describes herself as forthright and supportive, guiding people to build skills they can use day to day.
She welcomes conversations about work, relationships, parenting, identity, and coping with health or life changes. With 46 years of experience and Colorado licensure as an LCSW, she offers grounded, experienced support for adults and seniors navigating hard times.
What Barbara works with
Everything Barbara lists, in the therapist's own terms. Anger is the reason this directory exists; the rest tells you what usually sits alongside it in Barbara's practice.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Intimacy-related issues
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coaching
- Abandonment
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Attachment issues
- Avoidant personality
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Dependent personality
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Impulsivity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Narcissism
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Personality disorders
- Post-traumatic stress
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Somatization
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Barbara lists
- Attachment-Based Therapy
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Existential Therapy
- Jungian Therapy
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Somatic Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
- Internal Family Systems
- Systemic Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
Approaches that fit everyday life and online care
Attachment-based work helps people notice how early and close relationships shape current reactions. That approach can be useful for repairing trust, improving connection, and understanding patterns that fuel anger or withdrawal. Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on the link between thoughts, feelings, and actions and offers concrete strategies to change unhelpful patterns and manage symptoms like anxiety and depression.Finding the right approach is part of the process. Barbara will work together with each person to decide which methods feel most useful. The plan can include short-term skill building, emotion-focused conversations, or a mix that fits the goals people bring to therapy.
Online sessions offer options to fit a busy life. Video calls are useful for fuller conversation and nonverbal cues. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text-based messaging work well for brief exchanges, homework, or ongoing support between longer sessions. These formats make it easier to get consistent care from a licensed professional across different schedules and locations.
Questions people ask about Barbara
What kinds of concerns does she address?
She helps people with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma and abuse, anger, self-esteem, relationship and intimacy issues, and many life changes including aging and caregiving stress.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her style is warm and forthright. She works collaboratively, helping clients set goals and using practical tools alongside insight and emotion-focused work.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 46 years of experience in mental health care, including inpatient psychiatric hospitals and outpatient settings.
What credentials and location are listed?
She is an LCSW and CSW licensed in Colorado.
Which languages and international options are available?
Sessions are offered in English and she accepts international clients.
What session formats does she offer?
Sessions are available by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging.
How are costs handled for sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How does someone begin working with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to therapist availability.