Paula Knighton

Paula Knighton is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) based in Virginia with 25 years of experience. She focuses on practical help for stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma, low self-esteem, and relationship and intimacy concerns. Paula emphasizes steady, compassionate support while people work through painful or confusing parts of life.

Her sessions begin with listening. Paula creates a calm, nonjudgmental space where people can say what they need to say. She helps clients name priorities and choose small, doable steps to make things feel more manageable.

Paula blends talk-based methods with goal-focused tools. She draws on approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Emotionally-Focused Therapy to match tools to a person's needs. The work is practical and aimed at everyday change - sleeping better, handling strong emotions, or reducing compulsive behaviors.

She also supports people facing life transitions like divorce, career shifts, grief, chronic illness, or caregiving strain. Issues such as ADHD, mood disorders, hoarding, and substance use are part of her practice when they affect daily functioning.

Paula keeps a regular schedule Monday through Thursday evenings, Friday early evening, and Saturday mornings. If sessions start more than 15 minutes late, she asks clients to reschedule to keep appointments fair. To begin, clients complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a session.

How Paula’s Methods Translate to Online Work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them, then choose actions that match their values. ACT can be useful for stress, anxiety, and motivation-based concerns.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and testing new behaviors. It is practical for anxiety, depression, sleep issues, compulsive habits, and many everyday problems.

Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) centers on understanding and reshaping emotional responses in relationships. It can help people improve communication and manage intense emotions in close connections.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Paula listens to each person’s goals and preferences and suggests which methods to try first. She checks in regularly and adjusts the plan when something isn’t helping.

Confirm the current session options before booking to know which online formats are available. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life, allow shorter check-ins when schedules are tight, and remove travel time. Talk-based tools, behavioral experiments, and value-driven action steps translate well to remote sessions, and Paula will help tailor exercises so they fit a client’s day-to-day reality.