Nickaylynn Barner

I'm an LPC based in Texas who works with adults navigating addiction, trauma, anxiety, depression, and the kind of stress that doesn't go away after a good night's sleep. I'm not the therapist who nods quietly and lets you talk in circles — I'm engaged, I'm direct, and I'll genuinely challenge you when I think it'll help. I also believe laughter belongs in the therapy room. Healing doesn't have to be a grim process, and some of the most meaningful breakthroughs I've witnessed have happened mid-joke. I offer telehealth sessions throughout Texas and accept Aetna, Cigna, Carelon Behavioral Health, and Ascension.

I pull from a range of evidence-based methods — Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Trauma-Focused CBT, and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy among others — but I don't apply a one-size-fits-all formula. What works for someone managing substance use looks different than what works for someone processing trauma or working through family conflict. I take time to understand where you're starting from and we build from there. My style tends to be collaborative but honest. I'll meet you where you are, and I'll also push you further than you might push yourself.

Expect a real conversation — not a checklist. I'll ask about what's going on, what you've already tried, and what you actually want out of therapy (not what you think you're supposed to want). We'll talk about how I work and whether it feels like a match. First sessions can feel vulnerable, so I try to make the environment as low-pressure as possible while still being honest about what the work ahead might look like. You won't leave with all the answers, but you should leave feeling like you've been heard — and like there's actually a path forward.