About Paola
Paola Soto-Ruiz is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people facing stress and anxiety. She speaks English and Spanish and practices from Florida. Her warm, straightforward style aims to make starting therapy less intimidating for a worried parent reading on a phone.
She focuses on everyday struggles like low self-esteem, depression, coping with life changes, grief, and family strain. Paola also supports people dealing with trauma and abuse, attachment issues, and concerns tied to culture or identity.
Background and approach
She draws on a mix of practical approaches to match what each person needs. Sessions center on listening first, then shaping a plan together. Paola uses client-centered conversations to understand a person’s priorities.
She mixes that with cognitive tools to challenge unhelpful thinking and solution-focused steps to build small, manageable changes. For those with traumatic memories, she can include trauma-focused methods to reduce distress and improve day-to-day functioning. Her work emphasizes respect, sensitivity, and steady support while clients try new ways of coping.
Paola has eight years of professional experience as an LCSW - licensed clinical social worker - in Florida. She encourages people to take gradual steps, celebrate small gains, and adapt the plan as needs change. The tone in her sessions tends to be calm, practical, and hopeful.
Therapeutic approaches that work online
Paola uses client-centered work to build a trusting conversation where the person directs the pace and priorities. This method helps when someone needs time to talk through feelings and figure out what matters most in their life.She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT, which breaks larger problems into smaller steps and teaches practical skills to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. CBT can be useful for anxiety, depression, and managing stress in day-to-day life.
For those affected by trauma, trauma-focused techniques including EMDR-informed strategies may be used to reduce distress tied to difficult memories and improve functioning. These approaches focus on safety, pacing, and gradual symptom reduction.
Choosing the right method is a team effort. Paola will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and how they respond to different techniques. She adapts the plan over time so it fits real life and real progress.
Online sessions are offered as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to increase flexibility. Video works well for full conversations and visual cues. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited. Live chat and text messaging are useful for brief check-ins, homework support, or fitting therapy into a busy day. These options help people maintain continuity of care while accommodating work, family, and travel.
Questions people ask
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What this therapist works with
Also listed
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 8 years
- Licensed
- Florida
- Languages
- English, Spanish
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