Online Counseling Services in Corpus Christi, TX

Come home to your true Self.

Shakira Barnes, MA, LPC

Founder of Sage & Shadows Counseling

Serving clients in Corpus Christi, the Coastal Bend area, and across Texas.

Welcome. I’m so glad you’re here.

If you’ve landed on this page, there’s a good chance you’re carrying more than your share: emotionally, mentally, maybe even spiritually. You’ve been the steady one. The thoughtful one. The one who always “gets it.”

But lately, it’s not working anymore.

Your boundaries are constantly pushed. You’ve started questioning your own reality after years of being gaslit, minimized, or emotionally overrun. You feel like a stranger to yourself, stuck in patterns you can name but can’t seem to break.
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I see you, and I help women and couples like you find their way back to themselves.
I specialize in anxiety, relationship issues, and relational trauma, because I know the ways these wounds ripple through every part of you. They shape how you think, feel, connect, and cope. And they often leave you feeling exhausted, disconnected, or unsure if healing is even possible.

My clients come to therapy seeking more than coping skills. They want to feel safe again. To trust their own instincts. To stop second-guessing themselves. And most of all, to experience peace without having to earn it.
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If that’s you, you’re in the right place.

My approach is collaborative, compassionate, and deeply intuitive.

This isn’t therapy where you’re talked at, diagnosed, and sent on your way. We’ll explore the deeper patterns beneath the surface: what drives your anxiety, what fuels your burnout, and what parts of you have been working overtime just to keep you safe.

Together, we’ll work on:
  • Rebuilding trust in your own inner voice
  • Healing the emotional overfunctioning that leaves you drained
  • Navigating boundaries, people-pleasing, and guilt with more clarity
  • Understanding your nervous system and why “rest” feels hard
  • Naming and gently releasing survival roles that no longer serve you
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We’ll go at your pace. We’ll hold space for both grief and growth. And yes, we’ll probably laugh a little along the way too, because healing doesn’t have to be heavy all the time.

My work is especially aligned with:
  • Women and couples healing from high-conflict or emotionally imbalanced relationships
  • Neurodivergent folks navigating executive function challenges with anxiety or shame
  • People recovering from chronic self-doubt, hyper-independence, or feeling “too much”
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What you can expect from therapy with me:

Authentic

I don’t sit above you with all the answers. I walk beside you as a fellow traveler. Healing is a journey of discovery, and together, we’ll explore the wisdom within your story. You are not alone in this.​

Intentional

Every word I speak in our sessions is intentional, rooted in thoughtfulness, insight, and a deep commitment to your healing. Nothing is said or explored without purpose. Together, we create a space where reflection leads to transformation.​

Direct

I hold space for both honesty and healing. When I see an opportunity for growth or a new perspective, I will gently but directly bring it to light, because true transformation begins with clarity​.

More about my experience:
credentials
  • Licensed Professional Counselor in Texas (License No. 90432).
  • Masters of Arts in Psychology from Texas A&M University Corpus Christi.​
Integrated Approaches
  • ​Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS) 
  • Attachment-based Therapy
  • Person-Centered Therapy
  • Relational Therapy
  • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
Professional development
Seminars:
  • Comprehensive Internal Family Systems Therapy Course: A Step-by-Step Guide Through Clinical Applications of the IFS Model
  • Borderline, Narcissistic, Antisocial and Histrionic Personality Disorders: Effective Treatments for Challenging Clients 
  • Telehealth for Mental Health Professionals: 2-Day Distance Therapy Training

Trainings:​
  • IFS Consultation Groups (biweekly)
  • Integrative Somatic Parts Work ​Certificate
  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy Certification Training

What's new with me!

  • IFS Level 1 Training
  • Presentation on Burnout
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IFS Level 1 training is an intensive, 6-month certification program that deepens a therapist’s ability to help clients understand and heal their inner parts with compassion. I'm currently completing this training, which means I will be formally trained in how to guide you through exploring your inner world safely and gently, so every part of you feels seen, understood, and cared for.

What's the difference between informed and trained?

Being IFS-informed means a therapist understands and integrates some principles of Internal Family Systems, like parts work and self-compassion, into sessions, but hasn’t completed formal certification. Being IFS-trained means the therapist has completed official IFS Institute training, learning the full model and how to safely guide deep, evidence-based parts work. Both can be helpful, but IFS-trained therapists have advanced skills for navigating complex inner systems.
I’ll be presenting Recognizing and Combating Faculty Burnout in STEM Higher Education at the 2026 NAHKE Conference, where I’ll share evidence-based strategies for reducing burnout through supportive leadership and discuss how fostering faculty well-being enhances both institutional health and academic excellence.

Ready to explore what healing could feel like?

Let your healing unfold at your pace, in your way.

Serving Corpus Christi, the Coastal Bend, and all of Texas with online therapy.