Annette Rios-Barrera

Compassionate relational therapy with practical tools

LCSW Texas

Experience: 23 years in practice
Focus areas: LGBT, Relationship, Family
Approaches: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Languages: English, Spanish

About Annette

Annette Rios-Barrera brings 23 years of clinical practice as an LCSW in Texas, blending trauma-informed care with relational healing to support people navigating anxiety, depression, grief, and identity exploration.

Background and approach

She centers each person’s goals and values, tailoring sessions to create emotional safety and rebuild trust while helping clients develop clearer self-awareness and resilience. Her approach is collaborative and attentive to the complexity of human connection.

Annette has a broad focus that includes work with people from the LGBT community, those in ethically non-monogamous relationships, and individuals facing family conflict, abandonment concerns, caregiving stress, chronic illness, or body image issues. She draws on evidence-based methods such as cognitive behavioral techniques alongside acceptance and commitment strategies, attachment-focused work, and skills from dialectical behavior therapy.

Fluent in English and Spanish, she integrates playfulness and mindfulness when appropriate, including tools like laughter yoga, to support a balanced and humane therapeutic process.

Therapeutic approaches and online care

Annette often integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in her work. CBT involves identifying unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns and learning practical strategies to shift them, which can be useful for anxiety, depression, and stress. ACT emphasizes values-driven action and learning to relate differently to difficult thoughts and feelings, which can help with life transitions and coping with persistent distress.

Finding the right approach is treated as a collaborative process. The therapist will explore a client’s goals, preferences, and life context together and may blend elements from different methods to create an individualized plan that fits evolving needs.

Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to maximize flexibility and access. These formats allow scheduling around work or caregiving responsibilities, make ongoing skill practice easier between sessions, and let clients connect from different locations while working with licensed professionals.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does Annette commonly address?

Her practice addresses a range of issues including anxiety, depression, grief, relationship and intimacy challenges, LGBT-related concerns, stress, career questions, and life changes.

What is her therapeutic style like?

She uses a trauma-informed, relational approach that emphasizes emotional safety, collaboration, and skills-based work drawn from therapies such as CBT, ACT, and DBT.

How many years has she practiced?

Annette has 23 years of professional experience working with diverse clinical concerns and relational dynamics.

What are her credentials and practice location?

She is an LCSW licensed in Texas with license number TX LCSW 53659 and practices out of Texas.

Does she offer services in other languages or to international clients?

Sessions are offered in English and Spanish, and she accepts international clients.

What session formats are available?

Clients can meet via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging depending on their preference.

How are session costs handled?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.

How do I begin working with her?

Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

LGBTRelationship issuesFamily conflictsGriefIntimacy-related issues

Also works with

Stress, AnxietyCareer difficultiesDepression Coping with life changes

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 OCD Panic 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

Licensed

Texas

Languages

English, Spanish