- Stress and anxiety
- Grief and loss
- CBT and mindfulness
About Barbara
Barbara Lefdal is an LPC-MH (Licensed Professional Counselor - Mental Health) practicing in South Dakota with 30 years of experience. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, grief, depression, and major life changes. Her practice also addresses compassion fatigue and concerns tied to aging and caregiving.
Barbara often helps people who feel burdened by guilt or shame, or who struggle with loneliness and social isolation. She supports those coping with caregiver stress, end-of-life decisions, and the emotional strain that comes with divorce or separation. She also works with clients who face mood disorders, trauma, or financial and communication stresses.
Her approach mixes client-centered listening with practical techniques. She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Mindfulness to help people identify unhelpful thoughts and build small, steady coping steps. Motivational Interviewing helps when someone is weighing changes and needs clarity about next steps.
Barbara also draws on psychodynamic ideas to notice patterns that repeat across relationships and life events. In sessions she pays attention to how past experiences shape current feelings, including guilt and shame. She aims to help people recognize those patterns so they can choose different responses.
People who come to her can expect calm, straightforward conversation and actionable strategies. To begin, she asks about the specific problem, what has helped before, and what the person wants to try next. She works with adults across a range of emotional challenges and life transitions.
How Barbara uses common therapy approaches online
Barbara often uses Client-Centered Therapy, focusing on listening and understanding a person's concerns first. This approach helps people feel heard and clarifies what matters most to them before trying specific techniques.She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which breaks down the links between thoughts, feelings, and actions. CBT supports practical exercises to challenge negative thinking and to build new habits for managing guilt, anxiety, or low mood.
Mindfulness practices are used alongside these approaches to help people notice automatic reactions and to slow down strong emotions. Mindfulness can be a brief breathing or attention exercise that reduces reactivity and makes space for intentional choices.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. Barbara will talk with each person about goals and preferences and then suggest ways to proceed. That planning is collaborative and can change as the person learns what helps.
Confirm current session options before booking, as formats are not listed here. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, shorten travel time, and allow for quicker follow-up check-ins between in-person visits. They can also provide quieter surroundings or a shorter video-free session when that suits someone's needs.
Areas of expertise
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
30+ years
Listed in
South Dakota
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she address?
Barbara works with stress, anxiety, grief, depression, compassion fatigue, and life changes. Additional focus areas include guilt and shame, caregiver stress, isolation, and mood disorders.
How would she approach guilt or shame?
She combines client-centered listening with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and mindfulness to notice thought patterns tied to guilt and shame. Sessions include practical steps to test unhelpful beliefs and reduce their hold.
What is her background and experience?
She has 30 years of clinical experience in South Dakota working with adults across grief, caregiving, aging, trauma, and mood concerns.
Which credential and location are listed?
She is listed as LPC-MH, practicing in South Dakota.
Does she work in languages other than English?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients connect with her?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are session costs handled?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What are the first steps to begin?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.