AB Portrait of Astra Barkley

Astra Barkley, LPC, LCMHC

Practical counseling for stress and anxiety

12 years in practice · based in Alabama · sessions in English · online sessions

Book with Astra

We will earn a commission if you sign up through our link, at no cost to you.

About Astra

Astra Barkley is a licensed professional counselor who focuses on practical help for stress and anxiety. She uses straightforward methods to help people manage day-to-day struggles and make changes that fit their lives. She has practiced counseling for twelve years and has worked in nonprofit programs, schools, state agencies, and independent practice.

That background includes foster and adoptive case work and supporting children with special needs. She has also provided mental health counseling for depression, attention deficit disorders, anxiety, adjustment concerns, and stress-related issues.

Book with Astra Now Review online therapy options and next steps.

Background and approach

Astra teaches at the university level as an adjunct instructor at Troy University and works as a graduate teaching assistant while enrolled in a counselor education and supervision doctoral program at Auburn University. Teaching helps her stay current with theory and practical classroom skills she brings into sessions.

She is a foster and adoptive parent and has experience advocating for foster and adoptive families. She offers training for foster and adoptive parents based on a trauma-informed partnering model that focuses on safety and permanence. In sessions she draws from several approaches to tailor care to each person.

That can include client-centered work that follows the person's priorities, cognitive behavioral techniques to notice and change unhelpful thinking, and solution-focused strategies to identify small steps forward. Astra also keeps multicultural concerns in view when planning treatment.

Approach-driven online therapy that fits your life

Client-centered therapy focuses on the person's own goals and choices. The therapist follows what matters most to the person, listens closely, and helps clarify priorities and next steps. Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors connect and uses practical exercises to change patterns that increase anxiety or depression.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. Astra will work together with each person to decide which methods to try first and will adjust plans as needs and goals change. That collaborative process lets the person try techniques and keep what helps most.

Online sessions are offered as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to suit different schedules. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation, phone sessions can fit into a short break, live chat is useful for quick check-ins, and text messaging supports ongoing, brief exchanges. These options make therapy easier to fit around work, school, caregiving, and travel while keeping the focus on practical progress.
Book with Astra Now Review online therapy options and next steps.

Questions people ask

What concerns does Astra help with?
She helps people with stress, anxiety, depression, ADHD, addictions, grief, bipolar symptoms, parenting concerns, relationship and family issues, trauma and abuse, self-esteem, and coping with life changes. Multicultural concerns are also part of her focus.
What style of therapy does she use?
She uses an integrative approach that includes client-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), existential therapy, motivational interviewing, and solution-focused therapy. Techniques are chosen to match each person's needs and goals.
What is her professional background?
She has twelve years of counseling experience and has worked in nonprofits, schools, state agencies, and independent practice. She has provided services for foster and adoptive families and people with special needs.
What credentials and location are listed for Astra?
She holds LPC and LCMHC credentials and is based in Alabama. The listed credentials are AL LPC and NH LCMHC.
Are sessions available in other languages or internationally?
Sessions are offered in English. She accepts international clients.
What formats are offered for sessions?
Sessions can be scheduled as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to suit different needs and schedules.
How is cost 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 Astra?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button and completing a short matching questionnaire. After that, schedule sessions according to therapist availability.

What this therapist works with

Most often

Experience
12 years
Licensed
Alabama, New Hampshire
Languages
English

We will earn a commission if you sign up through our link, at no cost to you.