Paula Knighton, LPC

Paula Knighton is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Virginia with 25 years of clinical experience. She helps people facing stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, low self-esteem, depression, and relationship concerns. Paula focuses on practical steps people can use day to day and offers steady support as they make changes.

Paula creates an open, nonjudgmental space where people can talk about painful or confusing experiences. She listens for what matters most to each person and pairs that with straightforward strategies. Sessions often include looking at thoughts and behaviors, clarifying values, and practicing new ways of handling difficult moments.

Her work draws on a mix of approaches that include Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Emotionally-Focused Therapy, and motivational techniques. That lets her adapt to different issues such as grief, parenting strain, burnout, or substance use concerns. She also addresses longer term challenges like mood disorders, chronic illness, and life transitions.

Paula is direct but warm, and she emphasizes small, manageable steps. She supports work on intimacy-related concerns, sleeping problems, anger, career questions, ADHD, and forgiveness. Practical coping skills, clearer priorities, and steady encouragement are central to her approach.

Her stated schedule includes weekday evenings and a Saturday morning slot, with a note about punctuality for sessions. To begin, readers are encouraged to use the site’s Start Therapy process and complete the short matching questionnaire to schedule a session.

Therapeutic approaches and online sessions

Paula uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as core tools. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy focuses on clarifying personal values and taking concrete actions that match those values, which can help with anxiety, avoidance, and motivation. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy looks at the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and teaches practical skills to change unhelpful patterns, often useful for depression, anxiety, and sleeping problems.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Paula will talk with each person about their goals, values, and what feels most useful. Together they decide which methods to try and adjust the plan as progress is made.

Confirm current session options before booking since formats are not specified in the biography. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, shorten commute time, and allow for quicker check-ins between appointments. Some people find video helpful for reading nonverbal cues, while others prefer audio for lower bandwidth or a shorter session. The focus is on making therapy practical and workable within everyday routines.