PuttingFamilyFirst

The therapist listings are provided by BetterHelp and we will earn a commission if you use our link - at no cost to you.

AR Portrait of Annette Rios-Barrera
Online therapist

Annette Rios-Barrera

Compassionate, trauma-informed support for life changes

Book with Annette
Credentials
LCSW
Experience
23 years
Licensed in
Texas
Languages
English, Spanish
Format
Online sessions

About Annette

Annette Rios-Barrera is a licensed clinical social worker in Texas with 23 years of experience. She uses a trauma-informed lens and centers emotional safety in sessions. Annette speaks English and Spanish and welcomes international clients.

Her work often addresses anxiety, depression, grief, identity exploration, and issues around intimacy and relationships. She prefers straightforward, practical work that fits each person's goals and values. Sessions focus on rebuilding trust, increasing self-awareness, and developing coping skills.

Background and approach

Annette draws on therapies like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Attachment-Based Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to match techniques to a person's needs. Her style mixes focused skill-building with moments of lightness when appropriate. She brings a warm, down-to-earth presence and sometimes uses laughter yoga to ease tension and invite play into the process.

That element is offered when it fits the client's comfort level and therapeutic aims. Annette has additional experience with a broad set of concerns such as abandonment, adoption and foster care matters, aging and geriatric issues, autism and Asperger syndrome, avoidant personality patterns, BDSM and kink-related topics, blended family matters, body image, chronic illness, caregiving stress, and codependency.

She aims to meet each person where they are and tailor the work accordingly. Practical matters are handled plainly: sessions are available by video, phone, live chat, or text messaging. Therapy uses a subscription model that can be canceled at any time and cost varies by location and therapist availability.

Therapeutic approaches and online options

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, helps people clarify their values and take small actions that align with what matters to them. It is often used for anxiety, depression, and coping with life changes. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at patterns in close relationships and how early bonds shape how someone connects now; it helps with trust, intimacy-related issues, and relational wounds.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Annette will talk with clients about their goals and preferences and then suggest methods to try. The choice of approach is collaborative and can change as needs evolve.

Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. These formats make it easier to fit sessions into busy schedules and to continue work while traveling or living outside the therapist's state. They also allow for shorter check-ins or more flexible pacing when that better matches a client's life.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Less about arguing with difficult thoughts, more about loosening their grip and acting on what matters to you anyway. Values and committed action carry the work, which suits conversation at a distance.

Attachment-Based Therapy

Looks at how early bonds shaped what you expect from closeness, and how that plays out now with a partner, a parent, or your own children.

Client-Centered Therapy

The direction comes from you rather than from a set programme. The therapist offers a warm, non-judgemental space to think out loud and work at your own pace. Online, this rests on the relationship rather than on being in the same room.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does Annette commonly address?
She works with anxiety, depression, grief, stress, intimacy-related issues, relationship concerns, LGBT matters, career stress, and coping with life changes.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is practical and trauma-informed, combining skill-building with emotional support and occasional lightness, such as laughter yoga when it suits the work.
How much clinical experience does she bring?
Annette has 23 years of professional experience as a licensed clinical social worker in Texas.
What credentials and location are listed?
She holds the LCSW credential and is licensed in Texas under TX LCSW 53659.
Which languages are available for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English and Spanish, and she also accepts international clients.
Which session formats are offered?
Therapy is available via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging.
How does billing and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the steps to begin working together?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

  • LGBT
  • Relationship issues
  • Family conflicts

Also works with

Therapeutic approaches

Experience
23 years
Licensed
Texas
Languages
English, Spanish

Next step

Talk to Annette

  • Takes a few minutes
  • Nothing to set up just to look
  • Stop at any point
Book with Annette