Aileen Barnhouse, LMHC

Aileen Barnhouse is a licensed mental health counselor in Iowa with 17 years of counseling experience. She helps people manage stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, depression, and life transitions. She also supports adults living with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

She uses straightforward, practical methods. Sessions focus on identifying strengths and building skills that fit each person's life. She aims to make small, useful changes that add up over time.

Aileen primarily draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which looks at how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors connect. She also uses a client-centered style that centers the person's priorities and pace. Together these approaches shape clear, manageable steps in therapy.

In a typical session she listens closely, helps set reasonable goals, and teaches concrete strategies to cope with symptoms. That might include breaking problems into smaller parts, practicing new responses, or experimenting with different ways of thinking. She keeps the work practical and focused on real situations.

Aileen values collaboration. She helps people notice strengths they already have and then builds skills around those strengths. The process is aimed at making daily life feel more manageable and purposeful.

How Aileen’s approaches translate to online therapy

Aileen uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people spot unhelpful thought patterns and try new behaviors. CBT sessions focus on practical tools like thought records, behavioral experiments, and step-by-step plans to reduce anxiety, improve mood, or manage ADHD symptoms.

She also practices Client-Centered Therapy, which emphasizes listening, empathy, and following the client’s priorities. That approach helps people feel heard while they decide what changes matter most and move at their own pace.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Aileen will collaborate with each person to pick methods that match their goals, needs, and daily life. She adjusts strategies over time based on what is helpful.

Online therapy lets people meet by video, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging for flexible care. Video sessions are useful when visual cues matter, phone calls are an option when bandwidth is limited, and chat or messaging can fit brief check-ins or busy schedules. These formats make it easier to fit therapy into work, caregiving, or travel routines.