Caroline Barnes was a petite, delicate-skinned girl of 11 who blushed frequently and hid behind her smile, big eyes and loving manner. She was an energetic, lively girl who loved to play sports and hike. The public school she graduated from taught her very little about relationships, but she soon learned that her shyness could be overcome. In fact, she had two best friends who were half her age, and these two women encouraged her in the early stages of her relationship development.
As we have read in a biography of Ms. Barnes, by interviewing many of her friends and former students, her shyness began at a very early age. She believed that people were less interested in her than on their careers and looks. After high school, when she felt some of her shyness was beginning to wear off, she enrolled in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she pursued a Bachelors Degree in Psychology. While at this university, she discovered that being timid was a symptom of her high standards for herself. Once she earned this degree, she began working as a counselor in a large treatment center for mentally ill young adults, where she worked with many students who were often diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder.
While working with these severely disturbed young people, Barnes noticed that her own shyness began to abate. She found that she no longer worried or hesitated about interacting with people, and that she often found herself making new friends easily. Although, she admitted that at this age, she still longed for a career and a partner, which she eventually got after graduating from the university with a master’s degree in psychology. Throughout the years, Barnes has remained passionate about human development, relationships, psychology, and romance.