Barbara Hunt, Counselor in Plano, 75093

Barbara Hunt, MS, LPC, LMFT

Profession(s):
Counseling, Marriage & Family Therapy, Coaching
License Status:
I'm a licensed professional.
Primary License:
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Secondary License:
Licensed Professional Counselor

My Approach to Helping

When clients enter my office, they see a soft green frog holding a magic wand. We often wish someone would touch us with a magic wand and fix our lives or change a problem person into a prince or princess.

The frog is a reminder that the magic is inside us and has been all along. We can touch our lives with our own magic, create the life we want, and enjoy the resulting successes, good relationships, and mental health. Sometimes all we need to do is learn new ways to think, communicate, and act that we weren't exposed to as children.

As we work together, we layer down to uncover the root causes of your problems. Using your current strengths, the new skills you'll learn, and your courage, you can resolve your difficulties. The methods I use may include cognitive therapy (thinking rationally), interpersonal therapy, assertiveness and communication skills training, relaxation and deep breathing techniques, biofeedback, and referral for a medication consultation.

More Info About My Practice

I am on most mental health insurance plans. If I am not on your plan, you can use your out of network benefits. If you have no insurance, we negotiate a fee that is fair for us both.
Mental health insurance requires that you, the client, call them first to obtain a precertification if needed, and to determine your benefits, copay, deductible. If your insurance requires precertification and you don't obtain it, your insurance company will not pay for your sessions.

Specific Issue(s) I'm Skilled at Helping With

Over the 31 years I've been a therapist, I find that many problems that people experience, outside of an organic mental illness, are due to two things. The first is irrational thinking that creates painful feelings such as depression, anxiety, etc., and that most people are unaware of their thoughts. Developing awareness of what you are thinking and changing it if it is irrational or solving the problem if it is rational helps people feel better and competent and in control of themselves. The second problem I see most frequently is that most clients have communication skills that are ineffective. Teaching clients communication skills to be assertive, not aggressive, greatly improves their relationships with others. Most couples who are having difficulties don't have the communication skills needed to solve their problems in a mutually agreeable way. Learning effective communication skills enables them to solve their problems, avoid hurtful kinds of conflicts, and brings the couple back to a place of intimacy and closeness and respect.