Paula Donovan, LCSW

Paula Donovan is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 20 years of experience. She brings a calm, direct style and a global perspective shaped by decades living and working in different countries. Paula focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, relationship and intimacy issues, grief, depression, and other life changes.

She believes the client is the expert on their own life and centers sessions on what matters most to the person in front of her. Conversations are practical and straightforward. Paula looks for the strengths and routines that already help, then builds on them to reduce distress and increase energy.

Her approach draws on client-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral ideas, DBT skills, mindfulness practices, and motivational interviewing. Sessions combine talking through problems, trying small behavior changes, and practicing skills that calm the body and mind. Humor and kindness are part of the process when they fit.

Paula has worked across cultures and understands how loss, trauma, and caregiving stress affect people over time. She also helps clients facing issues such as addiction, sexual and intimacy-related concerns, eating and sleep problems, and major life transitions. Her background includes supporting people through fertility, end-of-life, and caregiver strains.

Located in Virginia, she offers therapy in English and draws on a wide clinical toolkit to tailor work to each person. To begin, prospective clients complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule sessions according to availability.

How her approaches shape online therapy

Paula often uses client-centered therapy to keep the work focused on each person's priorities. This approach emphasizes listening closely, reflecting what matters to the client, and building on personal strengths to make changes that feel relevant.

She also draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which helps identify unhelpful thinking and testing small behavior changes to reduce distress. CBT can be useful for anxiety, mood issues, sleep and eating problems, and coping with life transitions. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) adds skills for managing intense feelings, improving emotional regulation, and tolerating stress without making impulsive decisions.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work together. Paula collaborates with each client to choose techniques that match their goals, preferences, and day-to-day needs rather than using one fixed method.

Session formats are not specified here, so confirm the available online options before booking. Many people appreciate online sessions because they can fit therapy into a busy week, have shorter check-ins when needed, or avoid travel time. Online work makes it easier to practice mindfulness exercises and behavioral experiments between meetings while keeping momentum on real-life goals.