Hi I'm Paula. and firstly a warm welcome, it is important to find the right counselor for you. So please take the time to read through my profile and be assured i will endeavor to work with you in the best way possible.
I am licensed in the UK with 3 years of professional work experience in counselling.
I have experience in helping clients overcome stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse and gain self esteem and confidence,
I believe that you are the expert of your story and that you have many strengths that will assist you in overcoming things that challenge you. It takes courage to seek out a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards change. I am here to support & empower you in that journey.
Everyone, at times, can find life a struggle. Whether its events that we are finding difficulty with in the 'here and now' or past issues that are still holding us back. Sometimes we can feel "stuck" in life and can find it hard to decide which road to take.
Anxiety, depression, stress and fear may become overwhelming, or run too deeply, for you to talk to family or friends, or you may worry about the impact of disclosure with loved ones. Or you may find that you and your partner cannot seem to be able to resolve your relationship issues or difficulties on your own. If you want to talk about what is happening in your life, I can provide you with a safe space to be yourself, to speak out those unspoken thoughts and put words to those feelings. Having the space to talk through your problems confidentially with an understanding, non-judgmental and empathetic professional can make all the difference to your quality of life.
I believe that everyone is unique and as a result have different issues. Therefore different issues need different approaches. I use an integrative approach which uses the best bits from many counselling modalities and is adaptable and flexible depending on your type of issue.
Before becoming a counselor i worked in the voluntary sector helping vulnerable people with a whole range of different and complex issues. I co-created and delivered an award winning Mental Health Program called 'Take the Weight of your Mind' which aim was to build self-esteem, emotional resilience and empowerment.
I facilitate and enhance personal growth and insight with the ultimate goal of empowering you to change and move forward in life. I also aim to enable you to maintain what you have learnt in therapy, I will help you to develop new skills and strategies so you have the tools to cope when new problems arise, so you have more control of your life.
My ethos is all around personal empowerment and often this entails changing your thinking about yourself and the world around you. I believe that if you can change your thinking you can change your life.
The right help can bring your life back into balance and help you be properly mindful of your well-being.
Additional areas of focus: Addictions, LGBT, Relationship issues, Family conflicts, Grief, Intimacy-related issues, Eating disorders, Sleeping disorders, Parenting issues, Anger management, Career difficulties, Bipolar disorder, Coaching, Compassion fatigue, ADHD, Abandonment, Aging and Geriatric Issues, Antisocial Personality, Attachment issues, Avoidant Personality, Blended Family Issues, Body image, Cancer, Caregiver issues and stress, Chronic pain illness and disability, Codependency, Commitment Issues, Communication problems, Control issues, Coping with Natural or Human-Caused Disaster, Dependent Personality, Dissociation, Divorce and separation, Domestic Violence, Drug and Alcohol Addiction, Eating and Food-Related Issues, Emptiness, Family of Origin Issues, Family Problems, Fatherhood Issues, Fertility Issues, Forgiveness, Gender Dysphoria, Guilt and shame, HIV / AIDS, Hoarding, Immigration Issues, Impulsivity, Infidelity, Intellectual Disability, Isolation / loneliness, Jealousy, Life purpose, Men's issues, Midlife crisis, Money and financial issues, Mood disorders , Multicultural Concerns, Narcissism, Panic disorder and panic attacks, Paranoia, Personality Disorders, Phobias, Polyamory / Nonmonogamous Relationships, Postpartum Depression, Post-traumatic stress, Pregnancy and childbirth, Prejudice and Discrimination, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), Self-Harm, Self-love, Sexual Assault and Abuse, Sexual Dysfunction, Sexuality, Social anxiety and phobia, Traumatic Brain Injury, Women's issues, Workplace issues
Clinical approaches: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Attachment-Based Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Trauma-Focused Therapy
BACP Therapist - Registered Member MBACP (Accred) #386877
These quotes represent just a few of the many positive reviews that we have received for Paula North. We don't pay anyone to provide their review and they are all made voluntarily. Some people's experience receiving therapy with BetterHelp might be different.
I feel Paula understands to a degree already how I feel and it is helping me to open up and realise everyone deals with things in their own way.
Written on Sep 04, 2024 after therapy with Paula for 2 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, sleeping disorders, self esteem, and coping with life changes
Paula is great really recommend! She’s friendly and understanding
Written on Feb 09, 2024 after therapy with Paula for 2 weeks on issues concerning stress, anxiety, and career difficulties
Paula has been really good at changing my mindset from trying to understand the manipulator in my life to learning techniques to mitigate the damage they are causing. She did this by really listening to what has been going on and adapting her therapy plan to suit what issues had come up every week. I am grateful for her advice and believe that I have benefitted from her experience and kind words.
Written on Oct 04, 2023 after therapy with Paula for 7 months on issues concerning relationship issues, family conflicts, parenting issues, and coping with life changes
Paula is an amazing therapist who helps with self confidence and understanding that limitations due to trauma. She explained isn't something that you should push down to make people more comfortable. She explains boundaries and how to talk about things that upset you in a healthy way allowing you to feel comfortable in yourself and also making relationships healthier with others. I would highly recommend her
Written on Apr 26, 2023 after therapy with Paula for 4 months on issues concerning stress, anxiety, family conflicts, trauma and abuse, coping with life changes, and compassion fatigue
My time with Paula has been my first experience in therapy. She has been invaluable in helping me navigate what's been quite a difficult time for me. Paula's experience and expertise in different approaches has allowed for a free-flowing and flexible framework to help me find sense and clarity in my thinking. Paula has been incredibly encouraging and supportive of me and my time with her is definitely time well spent.
Written on Mar 15, 2023 after therapy with Paula for 3 weeks on issues concerning relationship issues, self esteem, and coping with life changes
Paula was such an important contact point for me to have when I was at a really low point. She was patient, empathetic, and always centred the conversation on how I felt about approaching things in different ways. She gave me a space to speak about my feelings openly without feeling judged, and helped me formulate strategies for coping with difficult times and negative thoughts. These are coping mechanisms I can take forward with me, and I’m very grateful for my sessions with Paula.
Written on Jan 04, 2023 after therapy with Paula for 1 month on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, and coping with life changes