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Your Guide
Through Change.

Serving clients in Burlington, Vermont.

Home: Welcome
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Meet Ally Barnett, LCSW

I am a licensed clinical social worker and certified sex therapist who specializes in pairing scientifically supported cognitive-behavioral therapies with modern holistic practices. I help my clients overcome trauma, strengthen their relationships, and live desire-based lives.  


My practice is an inclusive space that aims to teach radical self-love, affirm the experiences of individuals, and unpack the harm done to the body and mind through systemic and overt oppression.

You're in the Right Place.

  • You would like to improve your communication and satisfaction in relationships, romantic or otherwise. 

  • You need help managing feelings of anxiety, depression, and loneliness.

  • You want to understand and work through issues or goals around sex, desire, and intimacy.

  • You want mindfulness techniques and skills that can help you hold and sit with the feelings and sensations attached to strong emotions.

  • You would like to work on your self-worth or self-confidence.

  • You want to unpack and overcome trauma or a disturbing experience.

  • You are ready to do the work it takes to accomplish your goals.

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Changing, Together.

Modern Training

I am an integrative therapist. I have intensive training in understanding trauma, EMDR therapy, sex and couples therapy, body-based healing, and dialectical behavioral therapy.

Eight Years of Experience

The therapy I provide is relationship-focused and informed by feminist, cognitive-behavioral, somatic, and psychodynamic orientations.

Private Practice

At this time I am in-network with Vermont Medicaid. Otherwise, you can submit claims to your insurance company for reimbursement because I am an out-of-network provider. Learn more about submitting a claim to your insurance here.

Telehealth Provider

By working through telehealth, I serve clients all over Vermont

“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”

Audre Lorde

Areas of Expertise

Anxiety and PTSD

Self-Confidence and Self-Worth

Sex and Sexuality

Issues related to Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

Racism and Bigotry

Holding and Processing Emotions and Feelings

Reconnecting with Your True Desires

Communication in Relationships

Trauma Healing

"Ally was a great help to me when I was struggling with vaginismus and the fear and anxiety that came with it. I was also at a low point in regards to libido, and Ally carefully listened to me and offered helpful exercises and therapy to help me move forward. I feel that my relationship with myself, as well as my husband, has improved greatly, and I'm proud to say that my pain is no more. Thank you, Ally."

Female, 34, Vermont

My Technique

I empower my clients to reach their full potential by combining tried-and-true cognitive-behavioral, somatic, and person-centered approaches. 

 

While my education and certifications are in social work, I have had training in relational therapy, residential settings, wilderness therapy, family systems therapy, sex therapy, dialectal behavioral therapy, and trauma-informed cognitive-based therapies as well as EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing).

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Intersectionality theory, feminist, and social constructionist theory inform my integrative practice and philosophies. 

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Tools We Use Together Can Include:

  • Sex Education and Sex Therapy Strategies and Resources

  • Deconstructing Shame

  • Wounded Inner Child Work 

  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

  • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)

  • Mindfulness Practices

  • Person-Centered Spirituality Work

  • Homeplay and Assignments Based on Your Needs

  • Bibliotherapy

My Philosophy

Your thoughts create your world. What happens when a caring guide helps you change your thoughts? Your life changes. 


I guide clients to understand themselves better as unique individuals, in the context of relationships, as a member of cultures and systems, and as a spirit in a universe. I want to help you decode your thoughts, unpack internalized oppression, hold emotion and feelings in your body without judgment, and make choices without fear. 


Too often, we let the way we think determine the way that we live. When you believe negative things about yourself, you create a world that is ruled by depression, shame, and anxiety. It’s difficult to rise above these thoughts on your own to live up to your full potential.


I can help you reach the life you desire by helping you refocus on what you want and how you think. If you need help in any of these areas, desire-based integrative therapy is right for you. 

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