- Trauma-aware approach
- English and Spanish
- 23 years experience
About Annette
Annette Rios-Barrera is a licensed clinical social worker with 23 years of experience based in Texas. She uses a trauma-aware, relational approach and prefers to tailor sessions to each person’s goals and values. Her work often centers on anxiety, depression, grief, identity questions, and the strains that show up in relationships and connection.
Annette emphasizes emotional safety and rebuilding trust. She helps people notice patterns in thoughts and everyday habits and then try new ways of responding. Sessions blend practical skills with attention to feelings and attachment needs.
She supports people across a wide range of concerns, including LGBTQ issues, non-monogamous relationship dynamics, caregiving stress, aging and geriatric concerns, chronic illness and pain, body image, and adoption or foster-care related questions. She also addresses intimacy-related issues, codependency, commitment worries, and the aftermath of abandonment.
Her clinical approach draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Attachment-Based work, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and a client-centered stance. Annette incorporates mindfulness and sometimes lighthearted practices such as laughter yoga when it suits the person’s needs.
Sessions are offered in English and Spanish, and she accepts international clients. People who want help sorting through life changes, grief, or relationship strains may find her practical, compassionate style a good fit.
Annette emphasizes emotional safety and rebuilding trust. She helps people notice patterns in thoughts and everyday habits and then try new ways of responding. Sessions blend practical skills with attention to feelings and attachment needs.
She supports people across a wide range of concerns, including LGBTQ issues, non-monogamous relationship dynamics, caregiving stress, aging and geriatric concerns, chronic illness and pain, body image, and adoption or foster-care related questions. She also addresses intimacy-related issues, codependency, commitment worries, and the aftermath of abandonment.
Her clinical approach draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Attachment-Based work, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and a client-centered stance. Annette incorporates mindfulness and sometimes lighthearted practices such as laughter yoga when it suits the person’s needs.
Sessions are offered in English and Spanish, and she accepts international clients. People who want help sorting through life changes, grief, or relationship strains may find her practical, compassionate style a good fit.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeAvoidant personalityBDSM, kink, and alternative sex cultureBlended family issuesBody imageCancerCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCo-morbidityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personalityDisruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)Divorce and separationDomestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFertility issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessGender dysphoriaGuilt and shameHIV / AIDSHoardingHospice and end-of-life counselingImmigration issuesImpulsivityInfidelityIntellectual disabilityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMen's issuesMidlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMoney and financial issuesMood disordersMulticultural concernsNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksParanoiaPersonality disordersPhobiasPolyamory / non-monogamous relationshipsPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthPrejudice and discriminationProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSex addictionSexual assault and abuseSexual dysfunctionSexualitySmoking / vaping cessationSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Existential TherapyEye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)Gottman MethodJungian TherapyMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapySomatic TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family SystemsSystemic Therapy
Experience
23+ years
Credentials
Texas
Languages
English, Spanish
How her approaches guide online work
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice painful thoughts and feelings and then choose actions that match their values. It is often used for anxiety, depression, and life transitions where motivation and direction feel unclear.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and behavior and teaches practical strategies to change unhelpful patterns. It can help with worry, low mood, and everyday habits that get in the way of functioning.
Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on patterns of relating that form in close relationships and helps people build more secure ways of connecting. This approach is useful when relationship struggles, trust, or past loss are central concerns.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to decide which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences. That choice can shift over time as new issues come up or progress is made.
Session logistics and formats are not listed here, so confirm the available options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, avoid travel time, or have shorter check-in visits when that suits a person’s schedule. Many people find the flexibility helps them keep therapy consistent while managing everyday life.
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she help with?
She works with anxiety, depression, grief, and stress as well as relationship and intimacy-related issues. Additional focus areas include caregiving stress, chronic illness, adoption and foster care matters, body image, and identity questions.
How would you describe her therapy style?
Her style is relational and trauma-aware, mixing practical skill-building with attention to feelings and attachment patterns. She aims to tailor sessions to a person’s goals and values.
How much experience does she have?
She has 23 years of professional experience as a licensed clinician working with a range of emotional and relational concerns.
What credentials and location apply?
She is an LCSW licensed in Texas and practices from that state.
Are sessions available in other languages or countries?
Sessions are offered in English and Spanish, and she accepts international clients.
What session formats are offered?
Session formats are not specified here; please confirm current session options before booking.
How does payment or cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.