Iris Barahona
Compassionate partner for change
LICSW District of Columbia
- Experience
- 10 years in practice
- Focus areas
- Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Depression
- Approaches
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Client-Centered Therapy
- Languages
- English
About Iris
Iris Barahona offers support for people navigating stress, anxiety, relationship concerns, depression, life transitions, addictions, family and parenting challenges, self-esteem issues, and career questions.
Background and approach
She emphasizes helping clients recognize the strain they are under and taking the next steps toward change, framing the decision to seek help as a demonstration of strength. Iris aims to create a space where clients feel heard and can explore goals at their own pace.
Drawing on a decade of professional experience and her LICSW credential, she works collaboratively to identify practical strategies and untapped personal resources. Her approach blends client-centered techniques with cognitive behavioral strategies and mindfulness to address unhelpful thinking, reduce stress, and support healthier patterns.
Iris also uses motivational interviewing to encourage movement toward personal goals when change feels daunting. Outside of her clinical work in the District of Columbia, she values time with family and friends, enjoys sewing, and spends time outdoors when the weather allows.
Iris invites prospective clients to take the first step toward connection and growth, offering a supportive partnership aimed at improving emotional well-being and daily functioning.
Applied Approaches for Online Support and Skill Building
Iris often uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help clients identify and change unhelpful thinking patterns and behaviors that contribute to stress and mood difficulties; this approach is practical and goal-oriented, useful for concerns like anxiety, depression, and managing everyday stress. She also integrates client-centered methods that prioritize listening, validation, and collaboration so clients lead the pace and focus of therapy while the therapist provides support and guidance. Mindfulness techniques are used to increase present-moment awareness and reduce reactivity, which can complement cognitive work by helping clients regulate emotions and notice habitual responses.
Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process, and Iris frames treatment as a collaborative effort. She partners with clients to explore which methods align with their needs, goals, and personal preferences, adjusting strategies over time as progress and challenges emerge.
Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, making it easier to fit sessions into varied schedules and lifestyles. These formats increase flexibility and accessibility, allowing consistent work on goals from different settings while maintaining the therapeutic relationship with a licensed professional.
Frequently asked questions
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Does Iris offer services in other languages or to international clients?
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Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
10+ years
Licensed
District of Columbia
Languages
English