LISW
Barbara "Barb" Kroening, LISW
- Experience12 years
- LocationIowa
- Focus areasADHD, Family, and Trauma and abuse
- Therapy approachesClient-Centered Therapy and Mindfulness Therapy
Check the available next steps for working with Barbara online.
About Barbara
Barbara "Barb" Kroening offers a compassionate, nonjudgmental presence for people seeking practical support and emotional relief. With a focus on listening first, she aims to meet clients where they are and gently encourage progress toward their goals.
Background and approach
Barb's approach emphasizes honesty and an open space for sharing difficult thoughts and experiences. Barb brings 12 years of clinical experience as an LISW (Licensed Independent Social Worker) practicing in Iowa.
Her work has included care for people facing trauma and abuse, grief and loss, substance-related concerns, relationship and intimacy struggles, parenting challenges, mood disorders such as depression and bipolar, ADHD-related concerns, stress and anxiety, and a wide range of life transitions. She also attends to issues like caregiver strain, attachment and blended family dynamics, isolation, and complicated grief.
In sessions she draws on client-centered principles, mindfulness, motivational interviewing, solution-focused techniques, and trauma-informed practices to help clients identify strengths and small, actionable steps forward. Barb welcomes outreach from those ready to begin a collaborative process toward clearer coping, greater resilience, and more intentional living.
Practical Approaches for Online Healing
Barb incorporates client-centered therapy to prioritize each person's lived experience and to create sessions shaped around individual needs; this approach helps clients feel heard and supports collaborative goal-setting. She also uses Trauma-Focused Therapy to address the impacts of traumatic experiences with structured, evidence-informed strategies that aim to reduce the ongoing effects of trauma. Additionally, motivational interviewing techniques are used to help clients explore ambivalence and strengthen their own motivation for change.Choosing the best therapeutic approach is part of the work Barb does with clients. She aims to assess needs, preferences, and goals together, adapting methods as understanding grows so that the plan remains a collaborative product rather than a fixed prescription.
Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to increase flexibility and access. These formats make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules, continue work during life transitions, and maintain consistent support when in-person options are limited. Barb combines practical tools and reflective conversation to help clients move toward clearer coping and sustainable progress.
Frequently asked questions
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Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
12+ years
Licensed
Iowa
Languages
English
What Barbara can help with
Barbara "Barb" Kroening works with clients on family conflicts, trauma and abuse, grief, parenting issues, and self esteem.
Barbara works with individuals with substance abuse issues, anger issues, trauma history, and relationship issues.
How Barbara approaches therapy
Barbara's clinical approaches include Client-Centered Therapy, Mindfulness Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Solution-Focused Therapy, and Trauma-Focused Therapy.
Experience and training
Barbara is a Licensed Independent Social Worker practicing in Iowa.