Paula Rainey

Paula Rainey is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) in Mississippi with 25 years of clinical experience. She focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, anger, depression, and the effects of trauma and loss. Paula aims to support each person as they take steps toward greater well-being and confidence.

Paula approaches therapy with the belief that each person is the expert on their own story. She listens for strengths and practical resources clients already have. Sessions are aimed at building skills that can be used between meetings, such as coping strategies, clearer communication, and ways to manage strong emotions.

Her work includes attention to attachment issues, abandonment concerns, and patterns that shape relationships. She also helps people facing grief, guilt, shame, isolation, and life transitions like midlife changes or career shifts. Paula addresses first responder stress, fertility challenges, and recovery after natural or human-caused disasters.

Paula combines tools from evidence-informed approaches to fit each person’s needs. That can mean using mindfulness to calm the body, cognitive tools to shift unhelpful thoughts, or trauma-focused methods to process painful memories. Motivational interviewing is used to build momentum for change.

Sessions are practical and down-to-earth. Paula works to create a straightforward plan clients can follow between visits. To begin, people complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule according to the therapist’s availability.

Approaches that translate to online work

Paula uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people identify unhelpful thinking and try different responses. CBT is practical and often includes exercises to practice between sessions, which can work well in online meetings. She also uses Mindfulness Therapy to teach breathing, body awareness, and grounding skills that reduce reactivity and support emotional regulation. Trauma-Focused Therapy is used when past events continue to cause distress, offering structured ways to process memories and reduce their hold on daily life.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Paula will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match their goals, needs, and comfort level. That might mean combining strategies, adjusting pace, or trying different tools until something fits.

Session formats are not specified in the biography, so confirm current options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when schedules are tight. It also lets people practice skills in their usual routines and bring real-life situations into conversation with the therapist.