Paula Donovan, LCSW
Licensed in Virginia · 20 years in practice
Paula Donovan brings a warm, direct approach to therapy built around the people she meets.
License and registration
- LCSW, Virginia
- 0904007247 · expires June 2026
- NPI
- 1619204419 · national provider identifier
- Years in practice
- 20
- Languages
- English
Details are as listed on the therapist's public professional profile. You can check any license with the state board and any NPI with the national registry.
About Paula
Paula Donovan brings a warm, direct approach to therapy built around the people she meets. She is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with 20 years of experience and a style that trusts each person as the expert on their life. Conversations in her sessions are straightforward and paced to the client's needs, with room for honesty and sometimes a little laughter.
Paula centers work on strengthening what already helps you cope.
Background and approach
She listens for patterns in relationships, mood, and behavior and helps people choose practical steps that fit their day-to-day life. That may include changing how you think about a problem, practicing new ways to handle stress, or building daily routines that support sleep and mood. Her background includes international life experience and years of clinical practice in Virginia.
Paula often helps people facing grief, relationship problems, anxiety, depression, and addictions. She also supports those coping with caregiving, aging concerns, midlife shifts, and career stress. Paula pays attention to how cultural and life context shape what feels hard.
In sessions she draws from several approaches such as client-centered work, cognitive behavioral techniques, dialectical skills, mindfulness, and motivational interviewing. Her goal is to help clients find strategies that feel useful right now and sustainable over time. Paula aims to make therapy feel manageable rather than overwhelming.
She meets people where they are, helps set clear next steps, and adjusts the pace as progress unfolds.
Focus areas and approaches
Everything Paula lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Grief
- Self esteem
- Depression
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Intimacy-related issues
- Eating disorders
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Fertility issues
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexual dysfunction
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Somatization
- Women's issues
Approaches Paula names
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Narrative Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Somatic Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
Naming an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist lists and does not check training records.
Online support
How therapy approaches translate to online care
Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and responding to what matters most to the person. In online sessions this means the therapist follows your lead, reflects what she hears, and helps identify strengths and next steps that feel doable. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, helps people notice and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors through practical exercises and step-by-step strategies. It is often used for anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and mood regulation.Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Paula will talk with you about your goals, try methods that fit your situation, and adjust based on what works. You and the therapist decide together which techniques to keep and which to change as you move forward.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, which can make therapy more flexible. Video lets you have a face-to-face conversation when that matters. Phone calls use less bandwidth and can be easier during a busy day. Live chat and text are useful for shorter check-ins, coaching-style support, or when writing feels like the best way to reflect. These options help fit therapy into work, caregiving, or other commitments while keeping the focus on progress and practical tools.
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Questions people ask
What concerns does Paula commonly address?
She helps people with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship and intimacy issues, addictions, and issues related to self-esteem and mood disorders.
What is her general therapeutic style?
Paula uses a client-centered, straightforward style that emphasizes collaboration, practical steps, and occasionally lightness to reduce tension.
What experience does she bring to therapy?
She has 20 years of clinical experience and international life experience that inform her approach to coping and relationship concerns.
Where is Paula licensed and based?
She is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) in Virginia and practices with that credential.
Which languages are supported in sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging for remote therapy work.
How are costs and billing handled?
Costs vary with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin therapy with Paula?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling sessions according to the therapist's availability.
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