Profile / United States
Paula Smith, LCSW
Texas
LCSW - mood and anxiety support
See online therapy options- CBT focused
- DBT skills
- Mindfulness practice
About Paula
Paula Smith is an LCSW licensed in Texas and Oklahoma with four years of clinical experience. She focuses on stress, anxiety, LGBTQ concerns, trauma and abuse, bipolar disorder, depression, addictions, relationship strain, grief, and self-esteem. Paula works with individuals who are facing life transitions or complex emotional questions.
Her sessions are straightforward and practical. She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and other structured methods to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and test different responses. She also draws on DBT skills for emotion regulation, mindfulness practices to reduce reactivity, motivational interviewing to support change, and psychodynamic ideas to track recurring patterns.
Paula pays attention to identity and how it affects daily life. She helps people sort out relationship issues, commitment concerns, and communication problems. She also works with those dealing with chronic illness, caregiver stress, aging concerns, and substance use challenges.
In a typical meeting she helps set clear, short-term goals and breaks larger problems into small steps. Clients can expect concrete tools - for example thought records, behavioral experiments, or grounding practices - and time to reflect on what worked between sessions.
To begin, Paula asks people to complete a brief questionnaire and schedule an initial session. She uses a subscription-based session model that can be canceled at any time. Sessions are conducted in English and she is not taking international clients.
How her approaches fit into online work
Paula integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy into her online practice. CBT focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors to reduce symptoms like anxiety and depression. DBT provides concrete skills for managing strong emotions and improving interpersonal effectiveness.She also uses mindfulness techniques to help reduce reactivity and increase moment-to-moment awareness. These practices can support people coping with trauma, chronic stress, or substance use by providing grounding strategies and tools to notice patterns before they escalate.
Finding the right approach is collaborative. Paula will review your goals and try techniques together to see what fits. She adjusts interventions based on what clients report between sessions and what they find most useful in daily life.
Confirm the specific online session options before booking since formats were not specified in the biography. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and let people use skills in the settings where they live and work. Licensed professionals can help plan how to practice skills between sessions and break larger goals into small, manageable steps.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
4+ years
Listed in
Oklahoma, Texas
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she focus on?
She focuses on stress, anxiety, LGBTQ issues, trauma and abuse, bipolar disorder, depression, addictions, relationship strain, grief, and self-esteem.
How does she work therapeutically?
She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy alongside DBT, mindfulness, motivational interviewing, and psychodynamic ideas to provide practical tools and insight.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has four years of experience as an LCSW working with the listed concerns.
What are her credentials and location?
She holds the LCSW credential and practices in Texas having licensure in TX and OK.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Does she work with international clients?
She is not accepting international clients at this time.
How are sessions billed?
Sessions use a subscription model and the subscription can be canceled at any time; costs vary by location.
What do I need to do to start?
Use the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule your first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are not safe, use the crisis numbers.