Paula Donovan, LCSW

Paula Donovan is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) who brings two decades of practice to her work with adults. She blends practical, person-centered care with tools from cognitive and behavioral approaches. Paula values the client’s own knowledge about their life and uses that as the foundation for change.

She first lived and worked internationally before retraining as a clinician, and that background shapes how she listens and responds. Paula focuses on everyday problems like stress, anxiety, relationship strain, grief, low self-esteem, mood changes, and midlife transitions. She also supports people facing addiction, trauma, caregiver strain, and career challenges.

In sessions she helps people notice patterns that keep them stuck and build small, manageable changes. Expect straightforward conversation, empathy, and practical skills you can try between meetings. Paula draws on client-centered work, cognitive behavioral strategies, DBT skills, mindfulness, and motivational interviewing as useful tools.

She pays attention to losses, burnout, and the way long-term stress shows up in the body. Paula works to strengthen resilience by reinforcing strengths, relationships, and daily practices that support wellbeing. Humor and a relaxed tone are often part of the process.

Paula practices in Virginia and holds a VA LCSW credential. She offers therapy in English and does not work with international clients. If you want to take the next step she asks you to start by completing the site questionnaire to match and schedule a session.

Approaches that guide online sessions

The work often uses client-centered therapy, which means the client’s experience leads the session and the therapist follows that perspective to build understanding and next steps. This approach helps when people need a nonjudgmental space to sort feelings and choices.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is used to identify unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and replace them with more useful alternatives. CBT is practical for anxiety, depression, and problem-solving around life changes or stress.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) offers concrete skills for managing intense emotions and improving relationships. DBT skills can help when someone struggles with overwhelming feelings, impulsive actions, or conflict in close relationships.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk with clients about goals, preferences, and what feels most helpful, then adapt methods over time. That collaborative planning makes it easier to try techniques that fit each person’s life.

Because the site listing does not specify session formats, please confirm current online session options before booking. Online therapy can make it simpler to fit appointments into a busy schedule, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It also lets people use skills and exercises in real life between sessions to track what works best.