Barbara Muller-Ackerman

Barbara Muller-Ackerman is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) in New Jersey with 28 years of experience. She focuses on everyday concerns like stress, anxiety, parenting strain, low self-esteem, depression, ADHD, grief, sleep problems, and anger. Her style is warm and interactive and she aims to make sessions feel like a practical conversation rather than a lecture.

She takes a broad view of each person’s situation. Many problems overlap, so she looks at work, relationships, sleep, and daily routines to see where small changes can help the most. She often works with people who have attention issues that come with depression, anxiety, sleep trouble, or executive function challenges.

Barbara also supports people navigating life transitions and aging. She combines counseling with coaching skills to set clear goals and build everyday tools. Coaching is used to create practical strategies and to practice new habits between sessions.

Her approach draws from client-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, mindfulness, and solution-focused techniques. Sessions typically focus on skills you can use right away - mood regulation, communication, routines, and task planning.

She aims to help people reconnect with strengths they already have and to try small experiments that lead to better days. The work is collaborative: clients and the therapist set priorities together and track progress over time.

How these approaches translate to online work

Client-centered therapy emphasizes listening and tailoring the session to what matters most to each person. It helps when someone needs a supportive space to sort priorities, feel heard, and decide what to try next. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) focuses on changing unhelpful thoughts and habits through clear tools and short exercises. CBT is useful for anxiety, low mood, sleep problems, and managing anger with specific steps to practice. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) offers skills for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and better interpersonal communication, which can help with impulsivity and relationship stress.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with the client to see which methods fit best for their goals and preferences. That may mean trying one set of skills for a few sessions and adjusting based on what helps.

Confirm the exact session formats before booking so you know what is available. Online therapy can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when a full session is not needed. It also lets people practice skills in the routines where they happen and bring real-life examples back to the next meeting.