Today we’d like to introduce you to Barbie Hessel.
Hi Barbie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My path to becoming a therapist was not a straight line—it was shaped by lived experience, curiosity, and a deep respect for the inner lives of people.
I’ve always been someone who felt deeply and noticed what others were carrying beneath the surface. Early on, I was drawn to understanding human behavior, relationships, and the ways we adapt to survive. Like many people who ultimately find their way into this work, my interest wasn’t purely academic—it was personal. I came to therapy first as a human, learning how powerful it can be to feel truly seen and understood.
Professionally, I began my career with a strong foundation in traditional talk therapy, but over time I realized that insight alone often isn’t enough—especially for trauma, anxiety, and long-standing patterns that live in the body and nervous system. That curiosity led me into deeper, trauma-informed work, including EMDR, Jungian Sandplay, Somatic Experiencing, and parts-based models. These modalities changed not only how I work, but how I understand healing itself.
Eventually, I founded Simply Being Therapy with the intention of creating a space that feels grounded, relational, and deeply human—not clinical or rushed. I wanted a practice that honors both science and intuition, structure and softness. Today, I work with individuals who are insightful, capable, and often high-functioning on the outside, yet internally exhausted by anxiety, self-doubt, or unresolved trauma. My role is to help them slow down, listen inward, and build a sense of safety within themselves.
Where I am now feels like an integration of everything that came before—my personal growth, my clinical training, and my belief that healing doesn’t require fixing what’s broken, but learning how to be with ourselves more honestly and compassionately. At its core, my work is about helping people come home to themselves—and that’s a privilege I don’t take lightly.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No—definitely not smooth. Meaningful work rarely is.
One of the biggest challenges has been learning to trust my own instincts while building something sustainable. Early on, I felt pressure to fit into more traditional models of therapy—what it should look like, how it should be delivered, and what “success” was supposed to mean. It took time (and some missteps) to step away from external expectations and build a practice that actually reflects my values.
Another struggle has been holding space for others while also learning how to care for myself. Trauma work is deeply rewarding, but it’s also demanding. I had to learn—sometimes the hard way—that being a good therapist doesn’t mean being endlessly available or self-sacrificing. Boundaries, rest, and pacing became essential, not optional.
There were also practical challenges: growing a practice, making business decisions without a blueprint, and tolerating uncertainty—especially in the earlier years when nothing felt guaranteed. I had to become comfortable with risk, imperfection, and growth happening in real time.
Ultimately, those challenges shaped both my clinical work and my leadership. They taught me patience, humility, and a deeper trust in the process. I don’t think I’d be able to do the work I do now without having moved through those seasons of uncertainty myself.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Simply Being Therapy is a trauma-informed psychotherapy practice rooted in the belief that healing happens through safe, attuned relationships. At the heart of the work is presence—creating enough emotional safety for people to slow down, feel, and reconnect with parts of themselves that may have been protected or pushed aside.
We specialize in anxiety, trauma, high-functioning burnout, and life transitions, using approaches such as EMDR, somatic, and parts-based work. Many of the clients we serve are insightful and capable, yet feel disconnected from themselves or stuck in patterns that don’t shift through understanding alone. Our work helps clients experience change not just cognitively, but emotionally and physically, within the context of a steady therapeutic relationship.
What sets Simply Being Therapy apart is the depth of connection and the pace at which we work. Therapy here is not rushed or transactional—it’s relational, thoughtful, and deeply human. We believe the relationship itself is a powerful agent of healing, and we honor that by showing up with consistency, attunement, and care.
What I’m most proud of, brand-wise, is the integrity of the practice. Simply Being Therapy reflects a commitment to depth, sustainability, and authenticity—for both clients and clinicians. I want readers to know that this is a space for people who are ready to soften, listen inward, and feel more at home in themselves—not by striving to be different, but by being more fully who they already are.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Advice for Those Just Starting Out as Therapists or Practice Owners
I understood the theory early on—about boundaries, alignment, pacing, and the importance of the therapeutic relationship. What I didn’t fully grasp was how emotionally exposed building a practice can feel.
When you’re starting out, you’re not just offering a service—you’re offering yourself. Your judgment, your presence, your voice. There’s a vulnerability in putting that into the world without yet having proof it will land. I wish I had known how normal it is to question yourself during that phase, even when you’re well-trained and clear in your values.
I also didn’t anticipate how often I would have to tolerate uncertainty. Not just financially, but existentially—wondering if I was doing it “right,” if the work was enough, if growth would come. What I learned is that confidence in this field doesn’t come from certainty; it comes from staying connected to the work and letting consistency build trust over time.
If I could say anything to someone just starting, it would be this: self-doubt doesn’t mean you’re misaligned—it often means you’re doing something meaningful. Stay in relationship with the work, let the practice evolve, and allow yourself to be shaped by it. The steadiness comes later, but only if you keep showing up.
Advice for Those Starting Therapy
If you’re looking for a therapist, my biggest piece of advice is to pay attention to how you feel in the room—especially in the first few sessions. Credentials and modalities matter, but the therapeutic relationship matters more. You should feel safe enough to be honest, even when you don’t yet have the words.
It’s also important to know that starting therapy can feel uncomfortable at first. That doesn’t mean it isn’t working. Growth often comes with some initial uncertainty or vulnerability. What matters is whether your therapist is attuned, curious, and responsive—whether they’re willing to move at your pace and adjust as trust builds.
I’d also encourage people to be gentle with themselves at the beginning. You don’t need a perfectly articulated goal or a clear story to start. Therapy is a process of discovery, not performance. The right therapist will help you make sense of things together, over time.
Ultimately, good therapy feels collaborative. It’s not about being fixed or told who to be—it’s about being met where you are and supported as you learn to understand yourself more fully.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.simplybeingtherapy.com
- Instagram: @simplybeingtherapy
