Gabrielle Barnes, MS, LCMHC-A

My path to becoming a therapist has included many moments of imposter syndrome and self-doubt. Worrying that my trauma was too complicated, that my ADHD would cause others to view me as unprofessional and that my sexual orientation wasn’t clear enough. Mostly, I felt pressure to have my healing tied up in a perfect bow.

I was stuck in a cycle of people-pleasing. My inner-critic demanded perfection. All while I was perpetuating unhealthy patterns learned in childhood to cope with dysfunction. Until, finally, I started choosing myself, listening to my inner child, setting healthy boundaries & getting real in therapy.

I learned that healing doesn’t have to look perfect. That it can be fraught with tangled ends and false starts. But it begins by finding a place to be authentic: to bring your truths, to cry, to laugh, to yell, ‘fuck!’

Therapy is a protected space to bring your full self.

Are you seeking a space to create manageable daily routines? A safe space to hold you as you unpack difficult trauma and attachment wounds? A space to find empathy for younger yourself and soften your inner critic? Do you want to identify where oppressive systems are the problem, NOT you?

However our sessions develop, we will always build from a foundation of client-centered therapy, where you are the guide and the knower. I am there to help you get to know yourself better. I want you to leave each session feeling lighter from sharing your whole self. You deserve it. You really do.

In my free time, you can find me cozied up on my couch, watching sad movies with my pit rescue, Cayenne Pepper, and out two kittens, Morton Salt and Poppy Seed. My highlight of the week is playing on my all-women-identifying soccer team. On a Sunday night, you can find me making (and messing up) New Orleans recipes for my partner. I’d like to say I do yoga every day, but that’s a big ole’ lie. Maybe one day though!