Natalie Lopez-Barnard is a licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor.  She earned her undergraduate degree at Barnard College of Columbia University and her masters degree in Counseling at Northwestern University.  Prior to receiving her Masters degree, Natalie Lopez-Barnard served five years of active duty in the United States Army.   She was discharged honorably at the rank of Captain to pursue a career in counseling. Her experience in the Army as a rear detachment commander, trained her in managing deployed families and using skills she learned through the Master Resiliency Training program, designed to prevent domestic violence, anxiety, suicide, substance abuse, and other conditions afflicting soldiers (as well as first responders and others).

As a former Army officer, Natalie has a deep interest in post-traumatic growth and focuses her efforts on helping clients reframe their experiences, turning chaos into a narrative that fosters personal growth and healing. She specializes in interventions designed to address acute and traumatic stress. Her training includes:

• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy (EMDR) Levels I & II, certified through the Trauma Recovery EMDR Humanitarian Assistance Program.
• Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), completed through the Medical University of South Carolina.
• Master Certified in Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), trained through the Rosenzweig Center for Rapid Recovery, LLC.
• Trauma-Informed Yoga Therapy Levels I & II, trained by the Sundara Foundation, alongside the completion of two 200-hour Yoga Teacher Trainings (YTT) from the Yoga & Ayurveda Center and Sacred Yoga Institute of Inner Work Yoga, both registered with Yoga Alliance.

Natalie has also completed several advanced courses in trauma recovery and mental health, including:

• Treating Adult Clients of Emotionally Immature Parents by Dr. Lindsay C. Gibson (6.25 hours).
• Demystifying Personality Disorders by Dr. Gregory Lester and Dr. Alan Godwin (6 hours).
• Narcissistic and Psychopathic Abuse (6.25 hours).
• Pat Ogden’s Complex Trauma Master Class in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (6 hours).
• Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy, with multiple specializations including healing trauma, addressing shame, and working with children, adolescents, and couples.
• Certified Integrative Trauma Practitioner™ candidate (completion pending November 2024).
• Human Trafficking Hidden in Plain Sight: Essential Identification & Treatment Techniques by Dr. Shari Kim (6 hours).
• Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) and Tapping (6.25 hours), along with specialized energy psychology approaches for overwhelming affect (5.25 hours).

She also recently obtained certification through the Aura Institute as an Integrative Trauma Coach, consisting of 40 live CE hours, focusing on embodiment and establishing an attuned nervous system through foundational somatics, meditation, and breath-work.  She is currently being trained in advanced therapies of biodynamic breath-work, applied somatics, body trauma liberation, and pending graduation to acquire title of Integrative Trauma Practitioner by December of 2024.

Her comprehensive training and hands-on experience in various therapeutic approaches allow her to guide clients through the complexities of trauma, helping them find paths to recovery, resilience, and personal empowerment.

In her free time, Natalie enjoys hiking, reading, walking dogs, biking, snowboarding, and practicing yoga, maintaining a balanced and active lifestyle that mirrors the holistic approach she brings to her work.

Trauma, PTSD, Acute Stress, Depression, Anxiety Disorders, Grief, Life Transition & Adjustment Issues, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Stress Management, Relationship Issues, Adult, Adolescent, Children, Couples & Family Therapy

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), Mindfulness, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Psychodynamic Therapy, Trauma-Sensitive Yoga