Therapist profile
Paula Fuentes, LMFT
California
Licensed LMFT - Relationships and Anxiety
Continue with PaulaWhere Paula stands
- Credentials
- LMFT
- License
- LMFT, California / 113516
- NPI
- 1568591550
- Experience
- 10 years
- Languages
- English
- Location
- California
About
- Client-centered therapy
- Cognitive behavioral tools
- Mindfulness practice
About Paula
Paula Fuentes is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) in California with 10 years of clinical experience. She works with adults facing stress, anxiety, relationship challenges, trauma and abuse, parenting pressures, and self-esteem struggles. Paula also notes experience with codependency, kink and alternative sex culture, and other relationship-related concerns.
Paula frames therapy around straightforward conversations and practical tools. Sessions focus on clearer communication, boundary skills, and ways to manage overwhelming feelings. She uses methods drawn from client-centered work, cognitive behavioral strategies, and mindfulness to help people notice patterns and try different responses.
Her background includes a decade of practice supporting people in diverse communities, with particular attention to LGBTQ+ clients and those in nontraditional relationship structures. Paula describes helping clients untangle family of origin issues, commitment worries, jealousy, and problems that come up around separation or divorce.
In the room she combines emotion-focused techniques with skills from dialectical behavior work when strong emotion regulation is needed. That looks like naming painful emotions, tracking what triggers them, and practicing small behavior changes between sessions.
Paula asks clear, practical questions and helps set short-term goals you can measure. She encourages regular check-ins on progress and adjusts methods if something isn’t working. This approach is aimed at people who keep prioritizing others and want steadier boundaries and a clearer sense of themselves.
How sessions work
How her approaches translate to online work
Paula draws from client-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) in her work. Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and reflecting so people can better understand themselves and their choices. CBT breaks problems into thoughts, feelings, and actions and teaches practical exercises to change unhelpful patterns. DBT provides concrete emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills for managing intense reactions and relationship conflict.Choosing an approach is a shared process. Paula will talk with each person about goals and try methods that fit those goals. She checks in on what's helping and changes strategies when needed so the work stays practical and relevant.
Session formats are not specified here, so confirm current options before booking. Many people find online sessions help fit therapy into busy lives by avoiding travel, allowing shorter check-ins, or making it easier to keep appointments around work and caregiving. The therapist and client can decide together whether to focus on skills practice, emotion processing, or communication exercises during online meetings.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
10+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, relationship problems, trauma and abuse, parenting challenges, and self-esteem issues. Paula also lists codependency, kink and alternative sex culture, and related relationship concerns.
What is her style or therapeutic approach?
She blends client-centered listening with cognitive behavioral techniques and mindfulness. Emotion-focused and dialectical behavior strategies are used when intense emotions or trauma responses come up.
How much experience does she have?
Paula has ten years of clinical experience working with adults on relationships, anxiety, trauma, and related concerns.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She practices in California as a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT). The credential is listed as CA LMFT.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English.
Does she work with international clients?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are sessions scheduled and paid for?
Session cost varies with location and uses a subscription model that can be canceled at any time. Exact fees depend on your chosen option.
What do I do to get started?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule your first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are not safe at home, use the crisis and helpline numbers.