Barbara Kirkman , LPC

Barbara Kirkman is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a licensed chemical dependency counselor who earned a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Tennessee. She returned to graduate study driven by her own experience with addiction and recovery, and that personal journey continues to inform a compassionate, experience-based approach to counseling.

Her early career began in a recovery center, followed by a role as an Aftercare Supervisor helping people maintain gains during the first crucial months of recovery. She later worked as an outpatient therapist at a community mental health agency, gaining experience supporting people with depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and trauma. As a survivor of both physical and emotional domestic abuse, she brings a particular commitment to working with survivors of domestic violence and other forms of trauma.

Barbara draws on cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness techniques, and trauma-informed approaches to help people build coping skills and restore balance. She describes recovery as a collaborative process in which clients are the experts of their own lives and she offers her training and lived experience to help them find a meaningful path forward. Her practice addresses a wide range of concerns including stress and anxiety, addictions, family and relationship issues, bipolar disorder, grief, sleep and eating concerns, parenting and career challenges, and ADHD.

She maintains mostly daytime hours with some evenings and weekends to accommodate clients and emphasizes flexibility, self-awareness, and personal growth. Barbara aims to support people in creating lives with greater meaning, joy, and satisfaction.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Barbara Kirkman commonly integrates client-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and mindfulness practices into her online work. Client-centered therapy emphasizes empathy and collaborative listening to help clients explore their values and make choices that fit their lives - it is well suited for people facing relationship concerns, life changes, or low self-esteem. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps identify unhelpful thinking patterns and develop practical skills to manage anxiety, depression, addictive behaviors, and mood instability. Mindfulness therapy teaches present-moment awareness and grounding strategies that can reduce reactivity and support recovery from trauma and stress.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process; Barbara works together with each person to tailor methods to their needs, goals, and preferences so treatment feels collaborative and grounded in real-life change. She brings both clinical training and lived experience to help clients choose approaches that fit.

Online therapy with Barbara is available by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, offering flexibility for busy schedules, caregivers, and international clients. These options make it easier to maintain continuity of care, fit sessions into daily life, and access a licensed professional from different locations.