- Years in practice
- 25
- Credentials
- LMHC
- Licensed in
- New York
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Family conflicts
- Focus
- Anger management
- Focus
- Self esteem
About Paul
Paul Pasternak is a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) based in New York with 25 years of experience. He helps people manage anxiety, depression, stress, and addiction. He also supports those facing relationship and parenting concerns and major life changes.
He takes a client-centered approach that starts with the goals the person brings to sessions. Paul uses Motivational Interviewing to build motivation and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to address unhelpful thoughts and behaviors.
Background and approach
Together with each client he creates a Care Plan that targets practical steps for change. Sessions are paced to match what a person needs. He checks progress regularly and adjusts the plan when something is not working.
The tone of his work is steady and empathetic, with attention to how past trauma might shape current struggles. Paul has worked in a range of settings across his career, which gives him a broad base of experience to draw from. That background informs practical strategies for parenting concerns, career stress, grief, and difficulties with anger or impulse control.
He encourages people to bring hope and readiness to change, and he offers coaching-style guidance alongside therapeutic tools. The focus is on realistic steps clients can take between sessions to make daily life feel more manageable.
What Paul works with
Everything Paul lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Paul helps people with.
- Family conflicts
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Coping with life changes
- Coaching
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Parenting issues
- Career difficulties
- Depression
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Divorce and separation
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Emptiness
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Multicultural concerns
- Post-traumatic stress
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Workplace issues
Approaches Paul lists
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
How his approach fits online therapy
Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and understanding the person’s goals. Online sessions let the therapist follow those goals while using reflective listening and guided conversation to help clarify what a client wants to change.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) targets thoughts and behaviors that keep problems going. In an online session CBT often includes practical home exercises, thought records, and brief behavioral experiments that can be reviewed over video or text between meetings.
Motivational Interviewing helps people find and strengthen their own reasons to change. That method works well online because brief conversations and check-ins can build motivation without feeling pushy.
Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the process. The therapist works collaboratively with each person to decide which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences, and adjusts the plan as progress is tracked.
Online therapy offers flexible ways to connect. Video calls allow face-to-face interaction for deeper conversation. Phone sessions can be helpful when bandwidth is limited or a quieter space is needed. Live chat and text-based messaging make it easier to fit brief check-ins or coaching-style support into a busy day. These options help people keep therapy consistent while balancing work, parenting, and other responsibilities.
Questions people ask about Paul
What kinds of problems does he help with?
He supports people dealing with anxiety, depression, stress, addictions, relationship and intimacy concerns, grief, and parenting challenges.
What is his general approach in sessions?
He uses a client-centered style that follows the goals the person brings. Treatments often include Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques.
How much experience does he have?
He has 25 years of experience working in a variety of settings, which informs his practical and adaptable approach.
Where is he licensed and based?
He holds a New York licensed mental health counselor credential (LMHC) and practices from New York.
Which languages are available for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English only and international clients are not accepted.
What session formats does he offer?
Sessions are available as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to suit different needs and schedules.
How is cost handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with him?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to therapist availability.
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