Today we’d like to introduce you to Patricia Barber.
Hi Patricia, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My story begins in Queens Village, New York. I was fortunate to have a loving family and encouragement throughout my life to choose my own path. I was strongly influenced by my Dad, a New York City Firefighter, toward compassion and community service. My Mom showed me the power of gentleness. Education was a “given” and I was lucky to love learning. At an early age, I knew that I wanted to become a counselor. After graduating from St. John’s University I spent some time in Orlando and met my future husband. I finished graduate school at UCF. I began my career in community mental health before transitioning to private practice. Throughout my professional experience, my story has been impacted and deeply shaped by “the stories” I hear from those suffering all varieties of mental illness, tragic loss, trauma and loneliness. After more than 40 years as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, I love what I do and firmly believe in the value of therapy in helping individuals navigate the challenges in their lives. During Covid, that truth became crystal clear,
Most of all my story is my family. My husband, daughter, son-in-law, grandsons, siblings, sister-in-law, and nephews and nieces…that’s where my heart is. When you are in a helping profession, it is crucial to avoid “compassion fatigue.” So, family and friends revive my spirit and keep me young!,
My faith keeps me hopeful, my family keeps me loved and laughing, my walking keeps me strong and my patients keep me committed to a purpose. All in all, my story is truly a BLESSED one for a girl from Queens.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Like everyone else, personal loss, health challenges and juggling family life and career have required me to move through as best I could. Additionally, working in a profession where stigma continues to impact individuals seeking help as well as limited access to help has been a challenge. Throughout those challenges, my faith carries me as well as what my loved ones would call stubbornness! What I care about, I fight for.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Patricia P. Barber PA?
My business is a private practice providing mental health counseling. Since COVID, the practice is primarily telemedicine, providing services via videoconferencing, FaceTime or telephone. I treat individuals, couples and families. Areas of practice include Depression, Anxiety, Phobia, Personality Disorders, Women’s Issues, Chronic Health Conditions causing mood and coping difficulties, Stress Management, Bereavement, and a variety of Relational Issues. Theoretical orientation is primarily Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and incorporates a holistic approach to mental health.
I credit my beginnings in community mental health with imparting a practical, down-to-earth approach. I believe I am known to be straightforward and practical in my approach to therapy. Therapy is change. Therefore, I encourage patients to find their path and make actual plans and take meaningful steps.
I would love for your readers to know that psychology is a vibrant and ever-changing field that offers so much for those who are struggling with mental health. With current advances in neuroscience, there are exciting possibilities in medications, therapeutic approaches and treatments. Part of what keeps me so engaged in my practice is the meaning derived by witnessing patients improve, heal, and thrive. Essentially that is what I am…a witness to others’ stories.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
One of my earliest mentors was my 7th grade teacher who was studying for her doctorate in psychology. She inspired me to discover at that early age what I wanted to do. Too many teammates, colleagues and bosses to mention but they are remembered in my heart.
My dear friends along the way are priceless.
My faith is my higher power which informs, inspires and guides me every day.
My husband is my force. He has strength when I don’t, he has hope when I don’t, he has vision when I get lost. When embarking on my own practice, he clearly stated “Of course it will work, Pat.” And he was right!
And my daughter is my gift in life. During the hardest times, I could look at her and know I had a purpose. And my two grandsons are the gifts that keep on giving. They are JOY.
Pricing:
- Determined by insurance or self-pay.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.patriciapbarber.com
