- 20 years experience
- Focus on relationships
- Practical goal setting
About Paula
Paula Schneider is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 20 years of experience helping people facing addictions, eating concerns, and the worries those problems bring. She works with individuals, couples, and family members who want clearer choices and less guilt. Paula listens first, then helps people set practical goals they can reach step by step.
Her background includes work with people affected by substance use and disordered eating, along with anxiety, depression, and relationship conflict that often come with those struggles. She has used approaches drawn from 12-step thinking, therapeutic community settings, and a mix of evidence-informed therapies during her career.
Paula often meets people who grew up in families where their needs were overlooked. She helps them look back at those patterns and decide what to change now. That work frequently addresses attachment issues, family of origin patterns, and how those histories show up in adult relationships.
In sessions she takes a respectful, down-to-earth stance. She avoids blame and helps people build self-understanding and self-acceptance. Her role is to be reflective, sometimes challenging, and encouraging as clients try new ways of coping.
Practical goals and steady progress guide her work. Paula uses client-centered conversation alongside concrete tools from cognitive behavioral and dialectical behavior approaches when useful. Clients who want support with codependency, communication problems, or parenting strain will find a practical, experienced clinician in her.
Therapeutic approaches and doing work online
Paula draws on attachment-based work to help people understand how early relationships shape current patterns. That approach looks at how trust, expectations, and safety in relationships influence things like codependency and parenting struggles. She also uses client-centered therapy, which centers the person's own goals and experience and shapes sessions around what matters most to them. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is part of her toolkit for addressing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors linked to anxiety, depression, or eating concerns; CBT provides clear exercises and steps people can try between sessions.Choosing the right approach is collaborative. Paula will listen to a person's story, discuss options, and help decide which methods match their needs and goals. She adjusts pace and focus based on feedback and progress so the plan stays practical and relevant.
If you are considering online work, confirm the current session options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when schedules are tight. It can also let people use video or phone in ways that suit their comfort and energy levels. Ask about which formats are available so you can pick the one that best fits your routine and needs.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
20+ years
Credentials
Florida
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does Paula address?
She works with addictions, eating and body image issues, depression, anxiety, trauma and abuse, relationship and family problems, parenting stress, and related concerns such as codependency and communication problems.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is respectful and interactive. She listens closely, helps set concrete goals, and balances gentle challenge with encouragement as clients try new behaviors.
What is her professional background?
She has 20 years of clinical experience working in settings that include addiction and eating-disorder care, therapeutic communities, and family-focused work.
What credentials and region are listed for this clinician?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) licensed in Florida and practices in that state.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English only.
Can international clients work with her?
She is not taking international clients at this time.
How are sessions scheduled and what does cost look like?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability and uses a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with this clinician?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.
Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.