Jessica Barnes

Dr. Jessica Barnes is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Florida Atlantic University. She received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Coastal Carolina University, a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from South University, and a Doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision from the University of South Carolina. Dr. Barnes has provided counseling services in a variety of settings ranging from inpatient psychiatric settings to community mental health clinics. She has been published in multiple journals including The Journal of Child & Adolescent Counseling, The Journal of Family Issues, The Family Journal and the Healthcare Journal.

Dr. Barnes has presented her work at regional, state, and national conferences and is an active member of the counseling community. She currently serves as an Awards Committee Member for the Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision.

Research Interest:

• Resilience
• Multicultural Counseling
• Counselor accessibility in low-income areas
• Parental Dynamics in the Black Community
• Intellectual and developmental disabilities

Selected Publications in Referred Journals

Barnes, J. M, Sandonato, B., Randolph, R., Coleman, C., Harley, K., & Limberg, D. (2026). Resilience Among African American Adolescent Girls Navigating Fatherlessness: A Qualitative Inquiry. Journal of Family Issues.

Schneider, K. M., Limberg, D., Schneider, K. M., Balane, C., Barnes, J., Sandonato, B., & Blount, A. J. (2026). A Mixed-Methods Examination of Interdisciplinary Strategies for Addressing Trauma and Chronic Pain in Group Therapy. Healthcare, 14(12).

Dean R., Rexrode, J., Barnes, J., Sandonato, B., Eckstrom, L., & Ohrt, J. H. (2025). Examining Intervention Change Processes with Children and Adolescents Experiencing Relational Trauma: A Systematic Review. The Family Journal.

Wymer, B., Guest, J. D., & Barnes, J. (2024). A Content Analysis of Recent Qualitative Child and Adolescent Counseling Research and Recommendations for Innovative Approaches. Journal of Child and Adolescent Counseling, 10(2), 85–98.

Selected Awards

• 2025: Dr. Cindy Nord Dissertation Award: this award is designed to support doctoral student dissertation projects that focus specifically on child/youth/family well-being, parenting, and/or prevention of child maltreatment.
• 2025: Association for Counselor Education & Supervision (ACES) Diversity Scholarship recipient.