Barbara Zilber, M.Ed., M.S., LMHC    Psychotherapist and Relationship Coach

Barbara, Director of EMERGING, which she founded in 1980, offers unique, in-depth therapy for individuals and couples experiencing emotional distress, unsatisfying relationships/jobs, as well as confusion about their next steps personally and in relationship. Her work as a psychotherapist joins traditional depth psychotherapy with humanistic and spiritual methods for healing mind, body and emotions. She specializes in helping partners in conflict to open their hearts and become more loving and intimate in their relationships.

Barbara brings to her work her intuitive, deep listening skills combined with her experience and extensive knowledge of human growth and development. Barbara’s methods are both creative and practical. She is adept at helping individuals, couples and groups come to transform the energy of conflict into powerful, loving, life fulfillment.

In 2000, Barbara augmented her years of couple’s psychotherapeutic work with Individual and Relationship Coaching. Her extensive training, working with couples and families experiencing conflict, blossomed into a practice where she is now sought out as a wise and experienced mentor and facilitator of couples wishing to heal and transform their relationships. Barbara believes that a relationship should serve the growth of each party toward becoming more nearly who she or he is capable of becoming, expressions of their most authentic selves. When that is absent, conflict predictably arises.

As a teacher, healer and transformational change agent, Barbara has been facilitating psycho-spiritual, transformational groups for individuals and couples for 30 years under the auspices of EMERGING. In 2003, Barbara founded the Elderfire Institute and Elderfire Circles. She invites individuals, couples and groups to ignite their fire, share their experiences and discover and harvest the passion and the wisdom of the elder. As elders or elders-in-waiting, there are many challenges to relationships as they grow and develop into this mature and ripe stage of development. Barbara received a BS in Social Sciences – Psychological Testing and Measurement from Simmons College, an M.Ed with concentration in Human Development from Harvard University and an MS in Counseling Psychology from Leslie University. She received her Life Coaching Training from The Coaches Training Institute, San Rafael, CA, and Organizational Relationship/Systems Coaching Training from the Center for Right Relationship in Vallejo, CA. Barbara is a certified Hypnotherapist from the American Association of Clinical Hypnosis and is trained in Ericksonian hypnosis. Barbara was a Founder of the National Organization for Women, New England chapter in the late 1960’s. She has had a Vipassana Buddhist meditation practice since 1979. This practice informs her teaching of stress reduction methods.

Barbara is joined by her husband of 45 years, Maurice Zilber, in facilitating couples’ relationship and group work.