About Paula
Paula Fuentes is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist practicing in California. She brings ten years of clinical work to sessions and offers a calm, steady presence for people dealing with stress and anxiety. Paula creates a compassionate, affirming space where clients can talk about what matters most.
She centers each session on the person's goals and current struggles. Conversations are practical and focused on small steps that feel doable.
Background and approach
Her practice covers relationship concerns, trauma and abuse recovery, parenting strain, and self-esteem work. Paula also supports people navigating sexuality and gender questions, including BDSM and kink topics, and helps with communication, jealousy, and commitment struggles. Paula draws from Client-Centered therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Emotionally-Focused Therapy, and mindfulness techniques.
She blends these approaches to match what a person needs in the moment and over time. Sessions are collaborative - Paula listens first, then offers tools and exercises to try between meetings. She emphasizes clear communication, emotion regulation skills, and practical problem-solving.
Her aim is to help people feel more grounded and in charge of daily life choices. People who come to her often want concrete ways to reduce anxiety, repair relationship patterns, or handle difficult emotions. Paula works with each person at their own pace and focuses on building lasting skills rather than quick fixes.
Therapeutic approaches and online care
Paula uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice unhelpful thought patterns and try different behaviors. CBT is useful for anxiety, stress, and practical problem solving.She also incorporates Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills for emotion regulation and distress tolerance. DBT tools are helpful when emotions feel overwhelming or reactions happen quickly.
Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Paula will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what feels helpful, then shape sessions around those needs. That collaborative process lets her blend approaches over time rather than sticking to a single method.
Online therapy offers flexible ways to connect. Video calls let people read nonverbal cues and have fuller conversations. Phone sessions can be a good fit when lower bandwidth or a quick check-in is needed. Live chat and text-based messaging work well for short updates, homework support, or when typed communication feels easier than speaking.
These options make it simpler to fit therapy into a busy life while keeping consistent treatment. Paula uses the same therapeutic strategies across formats, adapting exercises and skills to the chosen method so progress continues between sessions.
Questions people ask
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What this therapist works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
Also listed
- BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Divorce and separation
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fertility issues
- Forgiveness
- Gender dysphoria
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Parenting issues
- Personality disorders
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Post-traumatic stress
- Self esteem
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 10 years
- Licensed
- California
- Languages
- English
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