Astra Barkley, LPC, LCMHC

Astra Barkley brings a breadth of experience supporting children, adults, and families across nonprofit organizations, school settings, state agencies, and private practice. She has worked directly in foster and adoptive case work, supported children with special needs, and advocated for marginalized community members to help them obtain needed services.

In the private sector, Astra has provided mental health counseling for issues such as depression, attention deficit disorders, anxiety, adjustment disorders, and stress-related concerns. Her clinical work serves clients at different life stages and with diverse needs, allowing her to address both acute challenges and longer-term struggles.

Alongside her clinical practice, Astra teaches bachelor-level psychology courses as an adjunct instructor at Troy University and serves as a graduate teaching assistant at Auburn University, where she is enrolled in a doctoral program in counselor education and supervision. Her academic roles inform a practice that values evidence-based methods and ongoing professional development.

Astra is a foster and adoptive parent and an active advocate for foster families and children. She is trained in Trauma Informed Partnering of Safety and Permanence - Model Approach to Partnerships in Parenting and offers this training to interested foster and adoptive parents. She uses an integrative approach to counseling, tailoring each treatment plan to the individual client’s history, strengths, and goals. Astra holds credentials as an LPC - Licensed Professional Counselor and an LCMHC - Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, practices in Alabama, provides services in English, and accepts international clients.

Integrative therapeutic approaches for flexible online care

Astra Barkley draws on client-centered therapy to create a compassionate, nonjudgmental space where clients guide the pace and focus of their work; this approach helps people who need empathy, validation, and support while exploring personal goals and values.

She also uses cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to identify and shift unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors, which can be effective for anxiety, depression, stress, and attention-related concerns by teaching practical coping skills and strategies.

Motivational interviewing is another tool in her practice, helping clients who are ambivalent about change to find their own motivation and build commitment to practical steps toward recovery or new habits.

Finding the right combination of approaches is a collaborative process. Astra partners with each client to assess needs, preferences, and goals and then personalizes an integrative plan that fits their situation and priorities.

Online therapy with Astra is offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to increase flexibility and accessibility. These options make it easier to attend sessions from different locations, fit counseling into busy schedules, and maintain continuity of care when life circumstances change.