Sr. Barbara Kennedy, OSM, LPC is a co-founder of The Northwest Catholic Counseling Center (NCC). Due to the recession of the 1980s and lack of mental health care resources, a group of parishes banded together to bring Barbara out to Portland. Having a Master’s Degree from Creighton University and a certification from the Menninger Foundation in Family Therapy, Barbara was a natural fit for this new adventure. From the very beginning, NCC provided professional mental health care to all, regardless of faith or finance.
Barbara served as a therapist at NCC for 33 years. She helped countless clients overcome adversity, suffering, and loss by helping them tap into their strengths and create effective, practical ways of dealing with the struggles they faced. As NCC expanded, Barbara served in leadership roles as the Executive Director and Clinical Manager.
In late 2019, Barbara was elected to a leadership position within the Servants of Mary, her religious community, based in Omaha, Nebraska. Elected Congregational Counsellor, Barbara now works with the international leadership team, as the Servants of Mary have sisters in Belgium, England, France, Austria, and Congo. She now resides in Omaha, but stays involved in NCC as she is able.
As a co-founder, Sr. Barbara is part of The Northwest Catholic Counseling Center’s Member Corporation.
