218 N. Cloverdale Blvd.
Cloverdale, CA 95425
Phone    707.894.1890
Email  bturn@sonic.net

Barbara Turner has worked in private practice for over twenty years. Her experience includes the broadest range of issues and conditions faced by adults, children, couples and families.

Dr. Turner’s Approach to Psychotherapy
Reasons Why People Seek Professional Help
Work With Individual Adults
Work With Couples
Work With Children & Parents





































































When aspects of our social, occupational or academic functioning aren’t working, in spite of our repeated efforts to find solutions - and we are “stuck” - psychotherapy can really help. Among countless situations that bring this about are:

  • Parenting issues
  • Relationship difficulties
  • When we experience loss or trauma
  • When we experience violence or abuse
  • When we or a family member suffer(s) a chronic condition such as depression, anxiety
  • When we have difficulty making major adjustments or changes in our lives
  • When we have difficulty managing our emotions

Of course, many people come to therapy for personal growth and exploration.
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In adult sessions, Dr. Turner and the client together explore the nature and source of the issues. Together they explore possible routes to problem solutions, healing and personal development.

Depending upon the client’s needs, Dr. Turner may use a number of therapeutic tools to facilitate the treatment. Among other possibilities, these include:

•Reading material
•Journaling
•Dream analysis
•Sandplay therapy

Sandplay Therapy - Yes! Sandplay therapy can be very effective for some adults. While sandplay operates in the child’s natural language of symbols and serves their less mature brain development, for adults it bypasses the tendency to “overthink” matters, and gets right to the source of the conflict and healing. Sandplay is not necessarily appropriate for every adult, but Dr. Turner might invite the adult to try, if she feels it would be helpful. No one is ever obliged to do sandplay.
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With couples, Dr. Turner works to reduce hurts, develop awareness of individual feelings thoughts and needs, while cultivating self understanding. Using self understanding as a basis, she then works to help couples understand and accept their partner’s similarities and differences.  A primary objective of couples work is to develop self respect and mutual respect for each other.
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Barbara Turner specializes in work with children ages 3-12, using a combination of sandplay and play therapies.

All child treatment begins with a private meeting with the parents. At this time Dr. Turner takes a thorough social, developmental and family history, and reviews the parents’ concerns about their child.

Dr. Barb then meets privately with the child two to three sessions to make an assessment of the child’s condition and needs.

Following this, Dr. Barb has a second parent meeting to review her findings and any treatment recommendations. If the child does come in for treatment, Dr. Turner considers parent involvement an important aspect of the child’s work. Periodically, she will schedule individual sessions with the parents to stay informed about significant events in the family, and any changes in the child. Dr. Turner is always concerned to provide parents with the tools they need to help them with their child. When necessary, Barbara Turner will confer with teachers and make school visits to observe the child in his or her everyday world.
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Learn About Play Therapy

Learn About Sandplay Therapy


Dr. Turner's Approach to Psychotherapy
License MFC 25907
PO Box 305
Cloverdale, CA 95425  USA
Phone  707.894.1890
Fax  707.894.4474
Email drbarb@barbaraturner.org

Dr. Barb says,

. . . I like to take the mystery out of coming in for counseling and therapy. Firstly, it is important to know that sick people don’t come for therapy! It’s the healthy ones who realize that something in their lives is not working right and they could use some professional assistance.

When people come to my office, I generally start off by asking a lot of questions and taking a thorough history. This saves a great deal of time in the long run. It helps break the ice, and gives my clients and me a chance to get to know each other.

Therapy with adults is generally conducted as a respectful conversation. In many ways, I’m a mirror to my client’s inner world. Through reflective listening and questioning, the clients are able to see their difficulties “outside of themselves” and get a healthier perspective on things.

I believe that we have unique healing resources of our own. Part of my job is to help the client tap these for him or herself. I generally guide and steer the therapeutic conversation toward this end. Where needed, however, I am directive. All of my work is matched to the particular situation and needs.Therapy with children is conducted through their natural language of play.

The theory of therapy that I primarily use is that of Carl Jung.
Reasons Why People Seek Professional Help
Work With Children & Parents
Work With Couples
Work With Individual Adults
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Psychotherapy Practice