Paula Smith, LCSW

Paula Smith is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people facing stress, anxiety, depression, bipolar symptoms, addiction, grief, and issues related to sexual orientation and identity. She supports those processing trauma and abuse and those trying to rebuild self-esteem or improve important relationships. Paula practices from Texas and brings a calm, down-to-earth presence to appointments.

Paula focuses on practical steps people can try between sessions. She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to spot unhelpful thinking and Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills for managing strong emotions. Mindfulness and motivational interviewing are part of her toolbox to help with motivation and staying grounded during hard moments.

Her work often centers on the daily realities people carry, such as chronic pain or illness, caregiver stress, work strain, and the ongoing effects of attachment patterns. She helps people sort through issues like codependency, communication problems, and the emotional fallout of divorce or separation. Paula also supports first responders and people dealing with co-occurring conditions when those are part of someone’s story.

Sessions aim to be collaborative and concrete. Paula helps set small goals, try coping strategies, and review what worked. She pays attention to culture, identity, and life context when shaping each person's plan.

Paula holds LCSW licensure in Texas and Oklahoma. She emphasizes steady, manageable progress rather than quick fixes, and she encourages clients to move at a pace that feels right for them.

How CBT, DBT, and Mindfulness translate online

Paula uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors that fuel anxiety, depression, or low self-esteem. CBT sessions often include simple exercises and homework to practice new habits between meetings.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy offers emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills for moments of intense feeling. Online work with DBT techniques can focus on practical tools for managing strong emotions and improving communication in daily life.

Mindfulness Therapy helps people build steady attention and calm in stressful moments through brief exercises that can be practiced outside sessions. It pairs well with CBT and DBT when someone wants more present-moment coping skills.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will collaborate with each person to choose methods that fit their goals, preferences, and challenges. That plan can change over time as progress is made and needs shift.

The profile does not list specific online session formats, so confirm available options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, reduce travel time, allow shorter check-ins when helpful, and let people practice skills in their everyday settings without promising a particular format.