Passionate about helping youth and families, some of Dr. Barnes’ earliest work with patients was providing therapy to some of New York’s highest-risk children who were directly or indirectly affected by the 9/11 terrorist attack. She has since provided services in private and institutional settings helping both child and adult clients maneuver life’s challenges.

A native of Queens, NY, where she currently provides private counseling, Dr. Barnes has had a unique career path to working in mental health. She earned a BA in Art History from Empire State College. “I loved independent studies,” she recalls. “I continued onward with my studies.” She received an MA in Counseling Psychology from Norwich University Vermont College and a Doctor of Philosophy in Education from Northcentral University in Arizona.

As a mental health counselor for Project Cope, she delivered individual and group counseling, including Social Cognition Interactive Training (SCIT), smoking cessation, family education, and anger management. As a MICA therapist, Dr. Barnes worked closely with clients diagnosed with mental illness and chemical addictions.

She focuses on helping military service members, LGBTQ individuals, and business leaders in private practice. She enjoys working in telemedicine because of the democratizing effect it has had on reaching patients and looks forward to the new developments to continue helping people. “So many of us in the field are coming up with ways for more people to access mental health practitioners.

“Psychiatry and counseling have come a long way since the start of my career,” she remarks. “People young and old have become more vocal about shattering stigma to get help.”Close