Mistie D Barnes, EdD, LPC-S, RPT-S

DR. MISTIE BARNES is a licensed professional counselor-supervisor and a registered play therapist-supervisor. She has over 12 years of experience working directly with children, adolescents, and families, and she specializes in utilizing play therapy with these populations. She works with a range of issues, including anxiety disorders, divorce, foster care and adoption, grief, ADHD, depression, and more, with a specialization in trauma and abuse issues. Dr. Barnes is a professor of Counselor Education at Delta State University in Cleveland, MS. She is the founder and director of the Delta State University Play Therapy Training Institute. She provides ongoing training in the field of play therapy, hosts conferences with international speakers, and supervises interns who provide free services in the community. Dr. Barnes also maintains a limited private practice, provides clinical consultation and supervision in counseling and play therapy, speaks nationally on play therapy and related topics, is regularly quoted and interviewed by local and regional newspapers, and has published chapters and techniques in several books. She serves on several committees with the Association for Play Therapy, is the current clinical editor for the Association for Play Therapy Mining Reports, and is president of the Mississippi Association for Play Therapy.

Dr. Barnes received her Doctor of Education in Counselor Education and Supervision from Argosy University, Sarasota, her Masters’ of Counselor Education and Supervision from the University of Mississippi with a concentration in Clinical Mental Health, and her Bachelors’ of Arts in English and Psychology from the University of Mississippi. She went on to receive specialized training to obtain credentialing as a registered play therapist and as a registered play therapist-supervisor, as well as a board qualified supervisor for the state of Mississippi.