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Barbara VanHouten, LCSW
Staff Therapist
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Biography
I'm a therapist with experience treating anxiety, depression, addiction, grief, trauma and PTSD, along with the anger, stress, and family strain that so often come tangled up with them. Everyone has a story, and I've found that life's challenges can build until they feel overwhelming, until hopelessness and despair start to crowd out everything else. My work is walking alongside people through those stretches, drawing on both my professional training and my own life experience to actually understand what someone is up against.
I draw from a wide toolkit depending on what fits the person in front of me, including CBT, DBT, ACT, motivational and solution-focused approaches, internal family systems, and trauma-informed care. What that looks like in practice is less about a technique and more about a conversation. Early on, I mostly want to hear your story and understand what's been weighing on you, and from there we sort out what practical steps might actually help. I lean on your strengths rather than dwelling only on what's hard, because I've seen how much people already carry that can be turned toward healing.
My aim is a space where you feel genuinely heard, and where exploring hard things starts to feel less like exposure and more like building something steadier. I work collaboratively; the plan is one we shape together.
There's no rush to any of this. Reach out when the timing feels right for you, and we'll start there.
Expertise and specialties
Education and training
- Spring Arbor University (Master of Social Work)