Paula A. Matthews, LMHC

Paula has been in the field of psychology for more than a decade.  She provides guidance and support through counseling to help people of all backgrounds reach their greatest potential. Whether it be one on one sessions, couples or families, she works to foster a space for learning, healing, and growing authentically.

She previously worked in security and law enforcement, where she used psychological techniques to support and assist the people in her care before transitioning into psychotherapy.

Paula Andrea enjoys helping clients with a wide range of concerns and specialty areas. During your first sessions, she will take the time to understand what’s causing your distress and work with you to create a personalized plan, helping you regain balance and move forward one step at a time.

Over the years, she has trained in Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Trauma Focused Therapy and helped many individuals learn the skills to take control of the emotional pain or imbalance they are experiencing and learn how to grow and explore their full capacity one step at a time to reach their life’s goals.

Paula Andrea specializes in working with adolescents, adults, couples, and families, Veterans, and Active Military who struggle with anger, anxiety, depression, OCD, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use, and domestic violence. While emphasizing mindfulness, she encourages the use of multiple modalities to address an individual’s unique and complex journey in mental health and overall well-being.

Paula Andrea’s mission is to establish a foundation of trust, honesty, and mutual respect in hopes of supporting individuals, couples and families through their mental health journey.

Education/Credentials:

American Military University, Bachelor in Criminal Justice and Policing Walden University, Master of Science in Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling Florida Licensed Mental Health Counselor #MH22404

Experienced in:

Abuse, ADHD with adolescents, teens and adults, Anger management, Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, Co-Dependency, Coping with life changes, Couples counseling, Depression, Domestic violence, Family conflict, Grief and loss, LGBTQ+, OCD, Parenting issues, Self-esteem, Self-love, PTSD, Trauma, Women’s Issues, Young Adult Issues.

Clinical approaches:

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Attachment Theory, Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical-Behavior Therapy (DBT), Gottman Techniques, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Solution-Focused Therapy, Trauma Focused therapy

Style:

Amicable, Assertive, Authentic, Direct, Educational, Empowering, Funny, Good with tough conversations, Gives homework, Honest, Insight-Oriented, Nonjudgmental, Sincere

Years of Experience: Since 2015