About Paula

Paula Patterson is a licensed clinical social worker with 20 years of experience who helps people facing stress, anxiety, depression, grief, and ADHD. She works with individuals who are struggling after trauma or who need help sorting relationship and intimacy concerns. Paula aims to make therapy straightforward and useful for daily life.

Paula focuses on understanding patterns that keep people stuck. She helps clients notice unhelpful thoughts and habits, learn new coping skills, and build routines that fit their goals.

Background and approach

Sessions are practical and paced to each person's needs rather than following a single formula. Her background includes long-term clinical practice in North Carolina as an LCSW. That experience covers addiction, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, seasonal mood shifts, self-harm, and recovery after sexual assault.

She also supports people navigating personality challenges, jealousy, and compassion fatigue. In session Paula blends several approaches to match what a person needs in the moment. She uses tools from cognitive behavioral work to change thinking patterns, acceptance-based practices to reduce struggling with difficult feelings, and attachment-informed ideas to strengthen close relationships.

The aim is clearer choices and more reliable coping between sessions. People who choose Paula can expect direct, empathic conversation and step-by-step skill work. She helps set realistic goals and checks progress regularly.

The focus is on practical change that fits real life, whether someone needs short-term support or a longer course of work.

Approach-driven care delivered online

Paula draws from cognitive behavioral therapy and attachment-based ideas to guide online sessions. Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, which can help with anxiety, depression, obsessive patterns, and ADHD-related challenges. Attachment-based work looks at how early and current relationship patterns affect feelings and closeness, which can be useful for relationship or intimacy concerns.

Finding the right approach is collaborative. Paula will talk with the client about goals, try techniques in session, and adjust methods based on what helps. Together they decide which tools to use and how to apply them between sessions so progress is practical and measurable.

Online therapy offers flexibility in how people meet. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues, phone sessions work well when bandwidth or camera time is limited, and live chat or text-based messaging support brief check-ins or between-session processing. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life while still focusing on skill building and emotional work.

Questions people ask

What concerns does Paula commonly address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, addictions, relationship and intimacy issues, ADHD, and related concerns such as OCD patterns, bipolar challenges, and seasonal mood changes.
What is her therapy style like?
The approach is practical and empathetic, combining skill teaching with reflective conversation to change unhelpful patterns and improve day-to-day coping.
How much clinical experience does she have?
Paula has 20 years of experience working as a licensed clinical social worker in various clinical settings.
Where is she licensed and based?
She is licensed as an LCSW in North Carolina and provides services from that state.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different needs and schedules.
How are fees and billing handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and scheduling a session according to therapist availability.

What this therapist works with

Most often

Experience
20 years
Licensed
North Carolina
Languages
English

We will earn a commission if you sign up through our link, at no cost to you.