Lillian Barnwell - Licensed Professional Counselor
who she is …
An only daughter, a big sister to two brothers, and a true Southern belle, Lillian Barnwell is the every woman! On any given weekend, you might find her stirring up something new in the kitchen, retrieving her dogs from lunch hour at the private club nearby, or spontaneously traveling to a new city, just to take in the local culture.
Lillian’s childhood spanned a lot of southern cities, plus one mid-western one for good measure. While her dad served overseas in Vietnam, Lillian lived with her mother, two brothers and her grandparents in Riverside Alabama. Her grandmother introduced her to delectable chocolate cakes and taught her to read creating a life long love affair with books. Even as a youngster, Lillian’s cultural interests took root while her family lived in New Orleans, shopping the French Quarter and indulging in hot coffee and beignets. Her fondest childhood memories are of times spent dreaming up imaginary games and dancing with her cousins and brothers… and at the same time trying not to get into trouble.
Her family still is Lillian’s number one earthly priority, followed closely thereafter by her closest friends (fortunately for them!). She loves to explore new places and travel with friends, just to remind herself how similar – and yet different – we all are. At her favorite moments, Lillian is enjoying a good belly laugh, fully acknowledging life’s too short to miss its humor!
Lillian will win you over as soon as she flashes her award-winning smile! (For the record, she really did win “Best Smile” in high school.)
what she does …
For a long time, Lillian dabbled in different jobs, exploring her diverse interests: an au pair in Brussels, Belgium, an event planner, and a human resource manager. When her boss asked her one day for her five-year plan, Lillian knew her time had come to answer God’s call on her life to counsel others.
These days, Lillian counsels the following populations:
- Individuals, families and groups,
- Women’s issues,
- Abuse, addiction, behavioral and eating disorders, anxiety, depression, grief, low self-esteem and stress
why she does it …
To answer that question simply, Lillian’s heart for counseling is a calling on her life that she can’t ignore. She is passionate about communicating to others their value and beauty as God’s creation, and helping every person discover their gifts and abilities given to them by God.
Lillian believes that the process of healing is one that happens through relationships, and she considers it an honor to walk alongside clients through those lonely seasons of brokenness. She wants them to know that there is hope. They can lead a life that is better than they could have ever imagined. The road to restoration isn’t always scenic, but Lillian is gratified beyond words when her clients accept Christ’s invitation to be restored, and invite her along for the journey…