Hey, I’m Paula (she/her).

Have you ever felt like an alien trapped on the wrong planet? Like everyone else is following a specific set of rules that no one ever shared with you? Do you struggle to fit in or do things correctly no matter how hard you try? I enjoy supporting clients who are navigating a world that wasn’t designed with them in mind, in helping people who have spent so much time masking or trying to be “normal” that they’ve lost sight of who they are and what they want.

I’m also really passionate about working with people who know what they want, but for any number of reasons cannot bring themselves to take action. Whether it’s folding your laundry, writing a novel, having a hard conversation, or transitioning to a new career, if you feel paralyzed or overwhelmed, there are a lot of strategies we could explore. It doesn’t matter if you’re stuck because of anxiety, depression, lack of motivation, ADHD, or something else. Together we can get you moving again so that you can live the life you want to live.

I knew early on that I didn't want to follow the path society expected me to travel, but it took me a while to find my way. I grew up in a working-class family in St. Louis and moved to Portland about twelve years ago because I never felt at home in Missouri. I left behind some amazing people, and I often think about how most of the choices we make involve an element of loss, even when we can look back and say with certainty they were the right decisions.

More recently, I relocated from Portland to the Oregon Coast, fulfilling one of my childhood dreams to live by the ocean. I don’t know if I’ll be able to stay, or if I’ll even like it here, but I know it feels good to have taken the leap. In my spare time, I enjoy hiking, kayaking, tide pooling, writing, volunteering with cats, and playing with my rescue kitty, Kiran, who occasionally visits my telehealth sessions.

Now for the professional stuff:

I work with adult clients of all ages, focusing on a variety of clinical issues. My therapeutic style is laid-back and authentic–I pride myself on keeping it real. I collaborate with clients on treatment plans that include strategies to manage current symptoms while delving deeper into how society, family, and past experiences are impacting their lives. I don’t make anyone do “homework”, but if you want to feel better quicker then I’m happy to offer you resources and activities to explore between sessions.

I specialize in anxiety, executive dysfunction, addiction, grief, and PTSD. I have personal experience with generalized anxiety and executive dysfunction and recently completed over forty hours of specialized training focused on helping people who have ADHD. My passion for supporting addiction clients came from working in residential treatment and my own struggles in college with gaming addiction. When it comes to grief, I meet people where they’re at, tailoring interventions to specific problems. I work with clients grieving the loss of people, pets, relationships, homelands, jobs, mobility, personal safety, and more. I’ve completed an EMDRIA-approved EMDR training and I’m currently working with an expert clinical consultant while amassing the experience needed to become EMDRIA-certified.

I have a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Adams State University, a Bachelor and Master of Science in Nursing from Goldfarb School of Nursing, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Washington University in St. Louis. I have nine years of mental health experience: five as a mental health counselor, two as a crisis intervention specialist for 988 and other hotlines, and two as a psychiatric and substance use nurse at Cedar Hills Hospital.

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Oregon. I am supervised by Sam Mandel.

You can reach me directly at paula@sprouttherapypdx.com