About Paula

Paula Steele is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 15 years of experience in mental health work. She practices from Maine and focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, ADHD, parenting strain, and relationship and family concerns. Paula uses plain language and practical skills so people can try tools between sessions.

Paula centers sessions on the person in front of her. She relies on a client-centered approach that starts with listening and understanding each person's priorities.

Background and approach

From there she brings in skill-building, mindfulness practices, and ways to change unhelpful thinking when needed. Her background includes work across community and clinical settings supporting adults with depression, trauma histories, substance concerns, and challenges linked to autism and attention differences. That experience shapes how she helps people sort through daily demands, sleeping problems, grief, and anger.

Paula describes herself as empathic and nonjudgmental in sessions. Parents may find her experience useful when juggling caregiving, school interactions, and the day-to-day stress of raising children, including when a child has additional needs. She also addresses issues such as panic attacks, postpartum mood concerns, social anxiety, and general coping with life changes.

Paula blends practical tools with longer-term reflection. Sessions often include goal setting, simple mindfulness exercises, and homework designed to fit busy lives. She encourages building supports outside therapy and developing routines that make daily life more manageable.

Approaches and Online Options that Fit Your Life

Paula commonly uses client-centered therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy in online work. Client-centered therapy focuses on listening closely and helping the person set their own goals, which is helpful when people feel overwhelmed or unsure where to start. Cognitive behavioral therapy looks at patterns of thinking and behavior and teaches practical skills to reduce symptoms like anxiety, low mood, or sleep disruption.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. Paula will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t helped before. Together they decide which methods to try and adjust the plan as progress and life demands change.

Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to make therapy fit into busy schedules. Video is useful for in-depth conversations and demonstrations of skills, phone works well when bandwidth is limited, quick live chat can handle brief check-ins, and messaging supports ongoing work between sessions. These options let people keep therapy going during workdays, school runs, or when travel makes in-person visits difficult.

Questions people ask

What kinds of problems does Paula help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, ADHD, addictions, relationship and family concerns, grief, sleep problems, anger, self-esteem, bipolar issues, and coping with life changes, among other worries.
How would you describe her therapy style?
Her style is client-centered and practical. She listens first, then offers skill-building, mindfulness, and cognitive tools tailored to each person.
What is her clinical background?
Paula has 15 years working in social work and mental health settings supporting adults with mood disorders, trauma, substance concerns, autism, and attention differences.
What credentials and location information apply?
She holds the credential LCSW, listed as ME LCSW, and practices from Maine.
Which languages are supported and can she work internationally?
Sessions are offered in English and she does not accept international clients at this time.
In what formats are sessions offered?
Sessions are available as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to suit different needs and schedules.
How is cost handled for sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions are billed through a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What should I do to get started?
Select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.

What this therapist works with

Most often

Experience
15 years
Licensed
Maine
Languages
English

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