Clinician Spotlight - Hetty Barnett
Four Corners Counseling & Well-Being has skilled, experienced, and compassionate therapists, and we want to share some of what makes them special! Hetty Barnett is Certified in Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy; and specializes in therapy with professional and entrepreneurial women and men; couples & relationship counseling; mood disorders, life transitions including parenthood, empty-nesting & divorce; healing and integrating trauma.
What are your hobbies or aspirations outside of being a therapist?
I really enjoy lap swimming! I’m a member of a local Masters swim team, which is definitely aspirational since we don’t compete, lol.
Are you a dog or a cat person?
I do my best to be a dog person! I didn’t have dogs growing up, but about 8 years ago, Inka, my rescue pitbull, taught me a lot about how to love a dog. Now I get to love Olive, our black Lab/hound mix who is the family snuggle buddy.
How did you become interested in being a therapist?
I come from a long line of helpers, healers and teachers. I strongly considered becoming an ordained minister or an academic, but neither felt quite right. In graduate school, I got clear about wanting to help people in a collaborative way - not as a leader separate from others or in an isolated institution. I like how therapy provides practical tools for healing emotional pain and improving daily life, and it also provides space to tackle the deeper questions in life - who are we, really? What is our purpose in life? How do we cope with suffering and loss, and how do we give and receive love?
What's the most valuable thing you've learned...in life? As a therapist?
It is possible to heal from very deep emotional pain and to feel safe and secure in this life.
What’s one of the wackiest therapy/mental health myths you’ve heard of?
I know that some people still think - either consciously or unconsciously - that going to therapy or taking medication for mood regulation means there is something “wrong” with them. That is simply not true. I understand the shame that can come when we struggle, because our culture still emphasizes individuality and not showing any weakness in our drive for success. That perspective is a misunderstanding of what it means to be a secure and confident person. Being able to embrace our vulnerabilities and reach out to others for support and connection is what makes for a healthy and deeply strong person, in my experience.
Do you prefer tea or coffee? And what is your favorite food/snack?
I love black tea with milk and sugar, just like my grandmother.
What helps you feel calm in life?
Being outside helps me to feel calm - except when it’s really hot and humid! Slowing down, following my breath, and taking a few minutes to pay attention to my body also helps me to feel calm.
Where are you from? What is your favorite thing about that place?
I was born in rural Madison County, Virginia, and I still claim that as my home even though I moved away when I was 4. It is utterly beautiful, and I breathe more deeply every time I see those wise and grounding Blue Ridge Mountains. I’m definitely a “mountain” person. I also feel a strong sense of place in the Black Hills of South Dakota, where I spent a spiritually formative time when I was 20. I make a point to return to both places regularly.
What modalities are you drawn to using in the therapy room?
If you have talked to me about therapy for more than two minutes, you know that I am a strong advocate of the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model of individual therapy, and the IFS-based Intimacy from the Inside Out (IFIO) model of couples therapy. Both models have a non-pathologizing view of our thoughts, feelings, sensations and impulses - our “parts” - and the healthy and secure connection we can feel inside of ourselves, which we can then take into our relationships, communities and the world.
To read Hetty’s formal education and work bio click here.
