Barbara Leigh, LPC

Barbara Leigh is a licensed counselor who brings decades of clinical experience to her practice, combining seasoned judgment with contemporary, flexible interventions. She works collaboratively to identify each person’s specific needs and tailors treatment methods to match individual circumstances and goals. Her work focuses on supporting people through anxiety, depression, trauma, neurodiversity such as autism and ADHD, relationship and family concerns, grief, addiction, sleep problems, self-esteem and many other life challenges.

She has spent much of her career working with longer-term clients who are interested in sustained personal growth and practical life change. Barbara also owns an autism consulting business and holds specialized credentials including Certified Autism Specialist, Board Certified Telemental Health Provider, Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, and she serves as a Clinical Supervisor in Alabama. She is credentialed as an LPC - Licensed Professional Counselor - and has provided care in a variety of settings, including inpatient, outpatient, day treatment, residential, in-home, private practice and virtual services. Her early pioneering work in online counseling was featured on Oprah’s network and in Glamour Magazine, reflecting a long-standing commitment to remote care.

Clinically she draws on cognitive behavioral approaches, client-centered principles, motivational strategies and trauma-focused techniques, along with skills-building influenced by dialectical behavior therapy and neuroeducation. She emphasizes readiness and practical steps toward change, balancing safety with challenges so clients can pursue their goals with compassion and occasional humor. Clients say she is easy and fun to work with because of this balanced, personable style.

Therapeutic approaches adapted for online care

Barbara Leigh uses established approaches that translate well to remote sessions. Client-Centered Therapy focuses on creating a respectful, nonjudgmental space where the therapist listens closely and helps the client explore values, goals and personal strengths; it is useful for relationship concerns, self-esteem and life transitions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a structured, practical method that helps clients identify and change unhelpful thinking patterns and behaviors; it is commonly used for anxiety, depression, sleep problems and coping skills. Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative, goal-oriented approach that helps people resolve ambivalence and increase their readiness for change - it is often applied to addictions, behavioral changes and commitment to treatment.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Barbara Leigh works collaboratively with each person to determine which methods fit their needs, goals and preferences, and she adjusts the plan over time as progress unfolds. Her long experience with virtual care allows her to tailor techniques for remote formats.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility - sessions can occur by video call, phone, live chat or text-based messaging - making it easier to fit therapy into daily life, manage caregiving or work commitments, and maintain continuity of care across schedules and locations.