Stephen Barnard

After getting my MA in social work from Hunter College in NYC, my native city, I moved to Asheville, NC in 2006. I’ve worked in many roles, including Clinical Director of a large, progressive residential center, where I developed a trauma healing program in close collaboration with Dr. Carl Anderson, a Harvard neuroscientist. Now in private practice, many clients are working through the effects of trauma, but I have worked with people struggling with almost every imaginable challenge.

I have a holistic, integrative approach. I combine warmth, compassion and curiosity with cutting edge knowledge from many different disciplines, including neuroscience and nutrition science. I also have a long-term interest in meditation, having participated in many months of silent retreats, and while that’s not for everyone, that experience has convinced me that the human mind and brain are far more flexible and open for positive change than we often allow ourselves to believe.

You can expect to experience respect, patience and compassion. You will feel heard. Based on my experience, I expect you to notice benefits quickly, especially if you are willing to do very digestible bits of "homework" designed to reinforce what we are working on during the sessions. Everyone has different goals, and sometimes they change. But for me the bottom line is pretty simple: the process is working if you are noticing significant positive changes in your life.