At a glance
- Credentials
- LISW
- License
- LISW, Iowa / 072666
- NPI
- 1275760761
- Experience
- 12 years
- Languages
- English
- Location
- Iowa
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
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- Motivational approach
- Mindfulness tools
- Client-centered care
About Barbara
Barbara "Barb" Kroening offers a calm, straightforward space for people who are tired, overwhelmed, or unsure where to start. She acknowledges that asking for help takes strength and focuses on listening first. Barb aims to be direct and honest while avoiding judgement, so people can speak openly about what’s hardest for them.
Barb is an Iowa clinical social worker holding the LISW credential and brings 12 years of experience. She meets people where they are and uses practical encouragement to help them move toward their goals. Her work has included support for substance use concerns, anger, trauma history, relationship strain, grief, and parenting stress.
Her approach draws on motivational interviewing to spark change and client-centered methods that keep the person’s own goals in focus. She also uses mindfulness techniques to help with stress and solution-focused strategies to identify small, useful steps forward. Trauma-focused work is part of her practice when past harm affects current life.
Barb has experience working with immigration-related issues in both professional and personal contexts. She also addresses attachment concerns, blended family challenges, caregiver strain, codependency, and compassion fatigue. Other areas of focus include sleep problems, career stress, and finding life purpose.
People can expect conversations that are practical and respectful. Barb encourages honest feedback and aims to build a plan that fits everyday life. She invites prospective clients to reach out and start the process when they feel ready.
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How her approaches shape online work
Barb combines motivational interviewing and client-centered methods to help people make real changes. Motivational interviewing focuses on exploring a person’s own reasons for change and building motivation step by step. Client-centered therapy keeps the conversation built around the person’s goals and pace, with the therapist following their lead.
She also uses mindfulness techniques to reduce stress and help with sleep and anxiety. Mindfulness practices teach simple attention and breathing exercises that can be used between sessions. These approaches suit people who want practical tools and support for everyday challenges as well as deeper issues related to trauma or grief.
Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Barb will work with each person to figure out which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences, and she adjusts plans as progress unfolds.
Confirm current session options before booking to know which formats are available. Online therapy can make scheduling easier and help sessions fit into busy lives by reducing travel time and allowing quieter, shorter check-ins when needed. It can also let people use audio-only or lower-bandwidth options when that better suits their day. -
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Stress, AnxietyAddictionsRelationship issuesIntimacy-related issuesSleeping disordersAnger managementCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderDepressionCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigueADHDAdditional focus areas
Attachment issuesBlended family issuesCaregiver issues and stressCodependencyDomestic violenceFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameHoardingHospice and end-of-life counselingImmigration issuesIsolation / lonelinessLife purposeMood disordersObsessions, compulsions, and OCDParanoiaPersonality disordersPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthPrejudice and discriminationSexual assault and abuseWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesTherapeutic approaches
Client-Centered TherapyMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingSolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyExperience
12+ years
Listed in
Iowa
Languages
English
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Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Barb help with?
She helps with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma and addictions alongside relationship and parenting challenges.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Barb listens without judgment and uses honest, straightforward conversation to help people identify goals and next steps.
What kind of professional background does she have?
She is a licensed independent clinical social worker with 12 years of experience working with substance use, trauma, anger, and family concerns.
Where is she based and what credential does she hold?
She practices in Iowa and holds the LISW credential noted as IA LISW.
Can I work with her in a language other than English?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
Please confirm current session options before booking so you know which formats are offered at scheduling.
How are fees handled?
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?
Select the Start Therapy button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.
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Online talk therapy is not emergency or medical care. Stopping or cutting down alcohol or other drugs can be unsafe without medical advice. In immediate danger? Crisis numbers