Dr. Barber completed her doctorate in Marriage and Family Therapy and is currently an LMFT in Arizona. Lea is an LGBTQ-affirmative, polyamory-affirmative, and kink-aware therapist familiar with hierarchical and non-hierarchical polyamory, swinging, relationship anarchy, and more. Lea is passionate about supporting clients related to the identity process, dealing with discrimination and navigating the coming out process for LGBTQ/poly individuals, families and couples.
Lea is passionate about creating a supportive, empathetic environment where her clients feel empowered and encouraged to open up and be their authentic selves. When we feel safe and accepted for who we are, we can step forward and be vulnerable, which in turn allows us to foster deeper connections with ourselves and our loved ones. Through a mixture of warmth, humor and authenticity, Lea hopes to create an environment that feels safe and helps clients thrive and feel hopeful in making the changes necessary to grow past what no longer serves them, as well as honoring whatever emotions may come up in that process.
Lea’s goal when working with couples is to identify patterns that keep them stuck in a cycle of disconnect and unmet needs. Lea hopes to help couples identify underlying emotions and attachment needs that drive their cycle, and learn in session to share them with one another. Vulnerability is necessary for a deeper connection, and Lea’s hope is to guide couples in learning a new, deeper way to connect. Lea’s approach is experiential, in that she believes change can happen as we experience new ways of connecting with each other, and that begins in the therapy room.
With 6 years of clinical and research experience, Lea has developed a diverse skill set working with individuals and couples from various cultural backgrounds and concerns.
Lea’s areas of interest include:
Premarital Couples Counseling
Couples/Marriage enrichment
LGBTQ+ concerns
Alternative Relationship Models (partnered non-monogamy/polyamory)
Communication Issues
Trauma
Lea is also in the process of being certified in Emotionally Focused Therapy, and has advanced training in this model. This is her preferred approach when working with couples. She also has completed EMDR training and utilizes this with individuals who are healing experiences of trauma. In addition, Lea is a PREPARE-ENRICH facilitator, an evidence-based assessment that allows premarital couples to improve and deepen their relationship in therapy. Lea is also fluent in French and Arabic, and comfortable conducting therapy in those languages.
"Loving ourselves through the process of owning our story is the bravest thing we will ever do" - Brene Brown
