All About Paula

Paula is a compassionate, dedicated, neurodivergent-affirming therapist with a strong background in trauma-focused therapy. She specializes in working with children, teens, and adults. Her priority is to provide a safe, validating, and affirming environment while equipping clients with the tools to cope with their pain and life stressors.

Paula began pursuing a career in psychology when she realized one of her greatest strengths is her empathy, openness, and acceptance of others. Having encountered her own life challenges, she understands the importance of providing individuals with a space where they feel seen and heard.

Through her work in community mental health settings, in-treatment centers, and private practice, Paula has extensive experience with clients from diverse backgrounds, providing culturally sensitive care that honors each individual's unique experiences. Her experience ranges from providing crisis prevention and intervention to supporting individuals throughout life transitions and challenges. She has worked with survivors of childhood sexual abuse, medical trauma, intimate partner violence/domestic abuse, narcissistic abuse, intergenerational trauma, and disability/race/gender-based discrimination and trauma.

Her Philosophy

Paula wants to empower her clients to advocate for their needs, confront their fears, and overcome obstacles to achieving their goals. With an emphasis on trauma-focused and integrative approaches to therapy, Paula prioritizes facilitating a safe, validating, and affirming environment while also equipping clients with the necessary tools to navigate life's challenges and address difficult feelings. Embodying a sense of curiosity, non-judgment, warmth, humor, and empathy, Paula tailors her therapeutic techniques to meet the specific needs of her clients. Her Person-Centered philosophy, combined with a Strengths-Based approach that utilizes Cognitive Behavioral Therapies, Psychodynamic Therapy, and Somatic Experiencing, ensures that every session is supportive, enlightening, and empowering. 

As a neurodivergent-affirming therapist who celebrates her clients' neurocognitive differences, she helps all of her clients foster the confidence to work with their unique differences and improve their quality of life, rather than struggling to fit in or meet unrealistic expectations placed by others and society. 

Paula's sessions are designed to challenge clients, helping them to explore their past, target maladaptive patterns in the present, and uncover their inner resilience. Through fostering trust and collaboration, Paula creates a therapeutic environment where clients feel seen, heard, and supported on their path to achieving meaningful and transformative change.