Paula Steele, LCSW - Therapist in Maine

About Paula

Paula Steele is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 15 years of experience helping people navigate family and parenting challenges. She works from Maine and brings practical, down-to-earth support for parents and caregivers. Her background includes work in settings that ranged from in-home support to day treatment programs.

Her approach centers on listening first and building trust. She uses straightforward, skills-based work such as mindfulness and cognitive techniques to reduce stress and manage anxiety.

Background and approach

Sessions focus on concrete strategies parents can try between meetings. Paula has extensive experience with ADHD, autism, trauma, depression, relationship and parenting concerns. She also addresses grief, sleep problems, anger, addictions, bipolar mood issues, and life transitions.

Her additional focus areas include attachment concerns, caregiver stress, communication problems, domestic violence, and postpartum depression. In the room she emphasizes skill building and practical steps. She supports developing self-care routines, improving communication, and strengthening daily coping tools.

Clients can expect straightforward guidance and realistic homework when helpful. Paula draws on several therapeutic styles to suit each person’s needs. She blends client-centered listening with cognitive-behavioral techniques and mindfulness practice.

Motivational interviewing and narrative methods also inform her work when clients want to explore values and life stories.

Approaches that fit family and parenting needs online

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and building a trusting relationship. The therapist follows the parent's lead, offers empathetic listening, and helps identify what matters most for the family. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at patterns of thinking and behavior and teaches practical skills for anxiety, mood, sleep, and stress. Mindfulness Therapy uses simple attention and breathing practices to reduce reactivity and improve focus for parents managing daily demands.

Choosing the right approach is a team effort. Paula will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn't worked before. Together they decide whether to emphasize skills training, values exploration, or mindful awareness as the best next step.

Online therapy with video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging makes it easier to fit help into a busy family schedule. Video lets people see facial cues and practice communication skills. Phone sessions can be quieter and more flexible during a hectic day. Chat and messaging work well for brief check-ins, reminders, and sharing progress between sessions. These options reduce travel time and let families access support from home while working on parenting and family goals.

Client-Centered Therapy

The direction comes from you rather than from a set programme. The therapist offers a warm, non-judgemental space to think out loud and work at your own pace. Online, this rests on the relationship rather than on being in the same room.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT looks at the link between what you think, how you feel, and what you do. You work on noticing unhelpful patterns and practising steadier responses. It suits online sessions well, because much of the work happens between appointments and can be talked through from anywhere.

Mindfulness Therapy

Attention training: noticing thoughts and physical feelings as they arrive without being carried off by them. Much of it is practice you do yourself, so guidance over video or audio works much as it would in person.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does Paula address?

She works with stress, anxiety, parenting, depression, ADHD, addictions, relationship and family problems, grief, sleep issues, anger, self-esteem, bipolar mood issues, and coping with life changes.

What is her therapeutic style like?

Her style is practical and client-centered. She listens first, then offers skills such as mindfulness and cognitive techniques to help with daily challenges.

How much experience does she have?

Paula has 15 years of experience working in social work roles that included in-home support and day treatment, and with a range of mental health concerns.

What credentials and location are listed?

She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker - ME LCSW LC12383 - practicing from Maine.

Which languages are offered for sessions?

Sessions are offered in English.

What session formats are available?

She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging as ways to meet.

How is cost handled?

Costs vary with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.

How do I begin working with her?

Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to the therapist's availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Stress, Anxiety
Parenting issues
Depression

Also works with

Therapeutic approaches

Experience: 15 years
Licensed: Maine
Languages: English

Next step

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