Paula Steele
Compassionate LCSW focused on practical change
LCSW Maine
- Experience
- 15 years in practice
- Focus areas
- Stress, Anxiety, Parenting, Depression
- Approaches
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Client-Centered Therapy
- Languages
- English
About Paula
Paula Steele is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 15 years of professional experience in mental health practice based in Maine.
Background and approach
She has worked across settings that included day treatment, in-home support, and individual counseling, bringing a broad background in supporting people with ADHD, autism spectrum concerns, trauma, depression, anxiety, parenting challenges, and relationship difficulties. Her clinical history includes work with clients facing domestic violence, homelessness, chronic illness, and criminal justice involvement.
Her approach centers on client-centered and strengths-based care, emphasizing the therapeutic relationship as the foundation for change. Paula blends practical skill building, mindfulness, and attention to natural supports to help clients manage stress, improve coping, and work toward concrete goals.
She offers an empathetic, nonjudgmental manner that aims to create space for exploration and growth while collaborating on strategies tailored to each person’s needs. Paula provides services in English and offers a range of remote session formats.
Her practice emphasizes partnership and real-world skills to address concerns such as mood disorders, anxiety conditions, addiction-related issues, grief, sleep problems, and a broad set of life transitions and interpersonal challenges.
Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care
Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes understanding the client's perspective and building a collaborative relationship, which helps people feel heard and supported while they explore goals and choices. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and developing practical skills to reduce symptoms like anxiety, panic, and low mood. Mindfulness Therapy teaches present-moment awareness and stress-reduction practices that can complement skill building and help with emotion regulation and sleep difficulties.Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Paula works with clients to assess needs, preferences, and goals, and then tailors interventions from these methods so the work feels meaningful and achievable. The therapeutic plan can evolve as progress and priorities change, with regular check-ins about fit and direction.
Online therapy offers practical flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, making it easier to fit sessions into busy schedules or manage care from different locations. These formats support ongoing skills practice, timely check-ins, and consistent access to therapeutic support while allowing clients and licensed professionals to choose the communication style that works best for them.
Frequently asked questions
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Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
15+ years
Licensed
Maine
Languages
English