- Trauma-informed care
- Bilingual English Spanish
- Values-driven work
About Annette
Annette Rios-Barrera is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) practicing in Texas with 23 years of experience. She uses a trauma-informed, relational lens to help people navigate anxiety, depression, grief, identity questions, and difficult relationship moments. Her pronouns are she/her and she offers services in English and Spanish.
Annette often supports people from the LGBTQ community and those exploring non-monogamous relationship structures. She listens for each person’s priorities and tailors the work to match their goals and values. Sessions tend to focus on emotional safety, rebuilding trust, and growing self-awareness.
Her approach blends practical skills with personal exploration. She draws on cognitive behavioral strategies to address unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns. Attachment-based ideas help uncover how early relationships shape current responses and relational patterns.
Annette also uses acceptance and commitment ideas to help clients clarify values and take meaningful action. Dialectical behavior elements are woven in to teach emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills when needed. She aims for work that feels both realistic and hopeful.
She sometimes brings lightness into sessions, including tools from laughter yoga when it fits the moment. Annette describes therapy as collaborative, so clients help shape pacing and focus. To begin, readers complete the site Start Therapy questionnaire and schedule based on the therapist’s availability.
Annette often supports people from the LGBTQ community and those exploring non-monogamous relationship structures. She listens for each person’s priorities and tailors the work to match their goals and values. Sessions tend to focus on emotional safety, rebuilding trust, and growing self-awareness.
Her approach blends practical skills with personal exploration. She draws on cognitive behavioral strategies to address unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns. Attachment-based ideas help uncover how early relationships shape current responses and relational patterns.
Annette also uses acceptance and commitment ideas to help clients clarify values and take meaningful action. Dialectical behavior elements are woven in to teach emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills when needed. She aims for work that feels both realistic and hopeful.
She sometimes brings lightness into sessions, including tools from laughter yoga when it fits the moment. Annette describes therapy as collaborative, so clients help shape pacing and focus. To begin, readers complete the site Start Therapy questionnaire and schedule based on the therapist’s availability.
How these approaches guide online work
Annette uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help people name what matters most and take small, consistent steps toward those values. ACT is useful for anxiety, depression, and life transitions where values-driven action can guide change.She also draws on Attachment-Based Therapy to look at how early relationship patterns affect present-day connections. This approach helps people understand repeated relationship reactions and try new ways of relating in close partnerships.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. Annette treats therapy as a collaboration and will help decide which methods fit a person’s needs, goals, and preferences. She checks in about what feels helpful and adjusts the plan over time.
Practical benefits of online therapy include easier scheduling and fitting sessions into a busy week. Online work can make regular check-ins more manageable and reduce travel time. Because session formats are not listed here, confirm current options before booking so you know how she runs sessions and what will fit your routine.
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
Frequently asked questions
What issues does this therapist help with?
She supports people with anxiety, depression, grief, stress, relationship and intimacy concerns, and identity questions including LGBT matters and non-monogamous relationship dynamics.
What is her general approach in sessions?
Work is trauma-informed and relational. Sessions mix practical skills with exploration of values and attachment patterns.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 23 years of professional experience as a licensed clinician working with a range of emotional and relational issues.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is an LCSW - Licensed Clinical Social Worker - practicing in Texas.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English and Spanish, and she accepts international clients.
What session formats are available?
Session formats are not specified here; please confirm current options before booking so you know whether online or other formats are possible.
How is pricing handled?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability, and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I get started with therapy?
Click the continue button on this profile, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to the therapist’s availability.