- 46 years experience
- LMFT and LPC
- Texas based
About Betsy
Dr. Betsy Puentes is a licensed marriage and family therapist and licensed professional counselor in Texas. She brings 46 years of clinical experience to sessions and focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and career-related concerns. She invites clients to take the first step toward a more satisfying life and offers steady support during that process.
Dr. Puentes uses practical, talk-based work that centers a person's own goals and strengths. Her approach often includes techniques from acceptance and commitment therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy to help people notice unhelpful thinking and try small behavioral changes. She also draws on emotionally-focused methods and relational ideas when relationship patterns or attachment issues matter.
Her background includes a Master’s in Clinical Psychology and a Doctorate in Counseling Psychology, and she maintains licenses as an LMFT and an LPC in Texas. This long clinical history informs a calm, experienced style that many people find reassuring when facing tough decisions or big changes.
She regularly supports people coping with complex life stressors such as chronic pain, illness, caregiver strain, and major life transitions. Other areas she addresses include addictions, anger, body image concerns, and issues connected to attachment and abandonment.
Dr. Puentes works with clients who identify as LGBT and helps with relationship difficulties and communication problems. To begin, prospective clients complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule according to availability.
Dr. Puentes uses practical, talk-based work that centers a person's own goals and strengths. Her approach often includes techniques from acceptance and commitment therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy to help people notice unhelpful thinking and try small behavioral changes. She also draws on emotionally-focused methods and relational ideas when relationship patterns or attachment issues matter.
Her background includes a Master’s in Clinical Psychology and a Doctorate in Counseling Psychology, and she maintains licenses as an LMFT and an LPC in Texas. This long clinical history informs a calm, experienced style that many people find reassuring when facing tough decisions or big changes.
She regularly supports people coping with complex life stressors such as chronic pain, illness, caregiver strain, and major life transitions. Other areas she addresses include addictions, anger, body image concerns, and issues connected to attachment and abandonment.
Dr. Puentes works with clients who identify as LGBT and helps with relationship difficulties and communication problems. To begin, prospective clients complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule according to availability.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
AbandonmentAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesAvoidant personalityBlended family issuesBody imageCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personalityDisruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)Divorce and separationDrug and alcohol addictionEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesForgivenessGender dysphoriaGuilt and shameHIV / AIDSHoardingImmigration issuesImpulsivityInfidelityIntellectual disabilityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMen's issuesMidlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMoney and financial issuesMood disordersMulticultural concernsNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksPersonality disordersPhobiasPolyamory / non-monogamous relationshipsPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSexualitySocial anxiety and phobiaVisually impairedWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Existential TherapyImago Relationship TherapyMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy
Experience
46+ years
Credentials
Texas, Texas
Languages
English
How her approaches translate to online therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice what matters to them and take small, values-based steps despite difficult thoughts or feelings. It is often useful for anxiety, depression, and adjusting to health challenges. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and shifting unhelpful thoughts and trying behavioral changes that can reduce distress and improve functioning in daily life.Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match their goals, needs, and preferences. That may mean combining ACT or CBT with emotionally focused techniques when relationships or attachment concerns are present.
Session formats are not specified in the biography, so confirm current options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy schedule, provide a way to keep appointments during illness or caregiving demands, and allow shorter check-ins when time is limited. Licensed professionals can adapt exercises and homework to an online setting and help clients practice skills between sessions to support daily life changes.
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she help with?
The practice addresses stress, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, career concerns, addictions, relationship difficulties, trauma and related concerns.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Work is practical and collaborative, using talk therapy to identify goals and try manageable changes based on a person’s strengths.
How much experience does she bring?
The therapist has 46 years of professional work experience in mental health and a long history of clinical practice.
What credentials and location apply?
She holds LMFT and LPC credentials and practices in Texas.
Which languages are supported in sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with this therapist?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How does payment work and what does it cost?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What are the steps to begin therapy?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.