Paula Donovan, LCSW

Paula Donovan is a licensed clinical social worker with twenty years of experience helping people through hard seasons. She brings a warm, direct style to sessions and often uses practical tools alongside listening and reflection. Paula values the person in front of her as the expert on their life.

Paula draws on a range of approaches to meet real-life needs. She uses client-centered work to follow what matters most to each person. She pairs that with cognitive behavioral techniques to spot unhelpful thoughts and try different actions. Mindfulness and skills from dialectical behavior therapy help people calm intense emotions and build steadier daily routines.

Her practice often focuses on stress, anxiety, depression, relationship struggles, grief, and addiction concerns. She also supports people facing midlife shifts, career decisions, and caregiver strain. Aging and geriatric issues and end-of-life concerns are listed among her additional focuses when those topics come up.

Paula believes change begins with small, manageable steps. In sessions she talks through what’s working, what isn’t, and what to try next. She pays attention to strengths, life patterns, and relationships that can be strengthened to restore energy and purpose.

Originally from Ireland, Paula has lived in the United States for decades and draws on wide life experience. She offers an approachable, human presence in the room and sometimes brings a bit of humor as people work through difficult stuff.

How Paula’s approaches translate to online work

Paula commonly draws on client-centered therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy in her sessions. Client-centered work means she follows what matters most to the person and helps them name priorities, strengths, and next steps. Cognitive behavioral therapy looks at patterns of thinking and behavior and tests small experiments to change unhelpful habits and lift mood.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Paula discusses goals and preferences and then suggests methods to try. The choice is collaborative and can shift as needs change.

Session formats are not listed in the biography, so please confirm available online options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life - for example a shorter check-in during a break, or avoiding travel time on a workday. It can also let people use mindfulness or grounding exercises in the moment between appointments. Licensed professionals can adapt CBT and client-centered methods effectively over distance when format and scheduling meet the client’s needs.