Minerva Barrientos

I believe therapy should be a space where you feel heard, supported, and safe enough to be honest with yourself. I take the time to listen, understand your experiences, and help you recognize the strengths you already have within you.

My approach is warm and compassionate, but also direct. I will support you while also challenging you and holding you accountable as you work toward meaningful change. Together, we can explore patterns that may be keeping you stuck, work toward forgiveness and healing, and rediscover the joy and confidence needed to create a healthier, more fulfilling life.

I believe we all have the ability to overcome difficult seasons in our lives, but sometimes we need the courage to ask for help. Taking that first step can feel scary. My goal is to provide a safe, honest, and nonjudgmental space where you can heal, grow, and begin creating the life you want for yourself.

I have over 15 years of experience working therapeutically with children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. I tailor treatment to each client's individual needs, strengths, experiences, and goals rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.

My experience includes working with trauma, anxiety, depression, parenting challenges, maternal mental health, relationship and couples concerns, crisis intervention, and children's behavioral and emotional needs. I also have extensive experience supporting children and families with histories of trauma and DCFS involvement.

My specialized training includes Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP), Triple P – Positive Parenting Program, FASD-informed parenting, maternal mental health, couples therapy, crisis intervention, and children's mental health.

My goal is to combine compassion, honesty, practical strategies, and accountability to help clients better understand themselves, strengthen relationships, develop healthier patterns, and create lasting change.

Your first session is an opportunity for me to get to know you—not just the challenges that brought you to therapy, but also your experiences, strengths, relationships, and the changes you would like to make in your life.

You can expect a supportive and nonjudgmental environment where you can speak openly and honestly. We will begin identifying your goals, exploring what may be getting in the way, and discussing how we can work together to create meaningful change.

My hope is that you leave your first session feeling heard, validated, and more confident about moving forward. Therapy isn't about focusing only on your weaknesses. It's also about recognizing your strengths and learning how to use them to become the person you want to be.