Adriana Barnes, Intern

Whether someone feels disconnected from themselves, overwhelmed by life’s demands, or distant from the people they love most, Adriana believes counseling provides an opportunity to slow down, reconnect, and move toward a life that feels more grounded, intentional, and fulfilling.

One of Adriana’s greatest joys as a therapist is helping people discover what truly matters to them. She believes every person has a unique story, unique strengths, and a unique way of experiencing the world. Rather than simply focusing on solving problems, she enjoys helping clients better understand themselves, identify the life they want to create, and take meaningful steps toward living more fully in alignment with their values. She often says she wants to be “the artist who uses glue”—someone who helps people reconnect with themselves, with those they love, and with the parts of life that matter most.

Adriana has a special passion for working with couples. Drawing from an attachment-based and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) perspective, she helps partners move beyond recurring cycles of conflict by understanding the emotions and needs beneath them. She believes that when couples experience one another as emotionally safe, new patterns of trust, vulnerability, and connection naturally begin to grow.

Before becoming a counselor, Adriana proudly served in the United States Marine Corps. During her service, she experienced firsthand the profound difference one caring, steady person can make during life’s darkest moments. Those experiences inspired her to become the kind of therapist who offers a calm, accepting presence where clients feel genuinely heard, supported, and never alone. She especially enjoys working with veterans, active-duty service members, first responders, and others navigating major life transitions or carrying the weight of demanding careers.

Clients who work with Adriana can expect a therapist who is compassionate, thoughtful, and deeply invested in their well-being. Friends affectionately describe her as the “mother hen” because of the way she naturally looks after the people around her. She strives to create an environment where clients feel safe enough to be completely themselves, believing that healing begins when people no longer feel they have to hide parts of who they are.

Adriana earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Educational Studies from Rogers State University and is completing her Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Northern Arizona University. She has completed Gottman Method Couples Therapy Level 1 training and Counseling on Access to Lethal Means (CALM), and continues to deepen her work with individuals, couples, and families through an attachment-based approach to therapy.

Outside the counseling office, Adriana feels most alive exploring new places and finding moments of peace in nature. Whether she’s near the ocean, walking through a forest, traveling somewhere new, or spending time with family and her dogs, she values experiences that leave her feeling grounded, present, and connected.
Adriana believes that lasting change rarely happens in isolation. It grows through safe relationships, honest conversations, and small moments of courage that slowly reconnect us to ourselves and to the people who matter most. She considers it a privilege to walk alongside clients as they build those connections and create lives filled with greater hope, purpose, and belonging.