Paula Fuentes, LMFT

California · 10 years in practice

Paula Fuentes is a California licensed marriage and family therapist with ten years of experience helping people manage strong emotions and life changes.

License and registration

LMFT, California: 113516 · expires May 2027
NPI: 1568591550 · national provider identifier
Years in practice: 10
Languages: English

Details are as listed on the therapist's public professional profile. You can check the license with the issuing state board, and the NPI with the national registry.

About Paula

Paula Fuentes is a California licensed marriage and family therapist with ten years of experience helping people manage strong emotions and life changes. She creates a calm, nonjudgmental space where clients can talk about relationship issues, anxiety, trauma, parenting strain, and questions about identity and sexuality. Paula centers the conversation on what matters to each person.

Sessions focus on clear goals, practical skills, and emotional connection. She uses direct, empathic listening and helps people try new ways of coping between visits.

Background and approach

Her background includes work with diverse communities and people exploring nontraditional relationship structures. Paula supports clients navigating fertility and separation, family of origin issues, and struggles with guilt, shame, or self-esteem. She also addresses concerns related to kink and alternative sexual cultures in a respectful way.

In the therapy room she draws on Emotionally-Focused Therapy, client-centered methods, cognitive behavioral tools, dialectical behavior skills, and mindfulness practices. Those approaches are used to help clients understand patterns, manage symptoms, and strengthen relationships with themselves and others. Paula aims to meet people where they are and build a plan that fits their life.

She works collaboratively on communication, boundary setting, and concrete steps people can take to feel more grounded and purposeful.

Focus areas and approaches

Everything Paula lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.

Stress, Anxiety
Relationship issues
Trauma and abuse
Parenting issues
Self esteem
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
Personality disorders
Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
Post-traumatic stress
Self-harm
Self-love
Sexuality
Social anxiety and phobia
Women's issues
Young adult issues

Approaches Paula names

Naming an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist lists and does not check training records.

Online support

How her approaches work online

Paula uses Emotionally-Focused Therapy to help people notice and name their emotions and build safer, more connected relationships. EFT is useful when feelings and attachment patterns get in the way of closeness or personal calm.

She also uses client-centered therapy that puts the person's experience first, offering acceptance and empathy while clients set the pace and goals. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is used to identify unhelpful thoughts and test new behaviors that reduce anxiety and improve mood.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Paula will talk with each person about goals and preferences and together decide which methods to try. That decision is revisited over time so the plan stays useful and realistic.

Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different needs. Video calls let people work face-to-face from wherever they are. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or when being off-camera feels better. Live chat and text messaging allow shorter check-ins, quick skill practice, or support between longer sessions.

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Questions people ask

What kinds of concerns does Paula address?

She helps people with stress, anxiety, relationship difficulties, trauma and abuse, parenting strain, and self-esteem issues, plus topics like fertility, sexuality, and family problems.

What is Paula's therapy style like?

Her style is warm and direct. Sessions emphasize listening, emotional connection, and practical skills to use between sessions.

How much experience does she have?

Paula has ten years of clinical experience working with a range of emotional and relationship concerns in California.

What are her credentials and where is she based?

She is a licensed marriage and family therapist, CA LMFT, practicing in California.

Which languages are supported during sessions?

Sessions are offered in English.

Can people outside the U.S. work with her?

She does not accept international clients at this time.

What formats are available for sessions?

Paula offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging for remote work.

How does payment and getting started work?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability and uses a subscription that can be canceled at any time; to begin, select Start Therapy, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to availability.

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