Paula Garrard, LCSW

North Carolina · 20 years in practice

Paula Garrard is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people handle stress, anxiety, depression, grief, and major life changes.

License and registration

LCSW, North Carolina: C005877 · expires November 2027
NPI: 1679809156 · national provider identifier
Years in practice: 20
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 Garrard is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people handle stress, anxiety, depression, grief, and major life changes. She creates a calm, respectful space where clients can talk through what feels overwhelming and build practical coping skills. Paula brings two decades of experience to her work in North Carolina and takes a steady, patient approach to emotional challenges.

Her style is warm and direct. Sessions focus on what matters most to the client and on simple strategies that can be used between meetings.

Background and approach

Paula listens for strengths and patterns, then helps people try new ways of responding to hard feelings and events. Paula aims to make therapy practical. She offers tools for managing anxiety and lowering stress.

When grief or transitions are at the center, she helps people find routine, meaning, and small steps forward. She offers care that respects each person’s identity and life story, including experience supporting LGBT concerns. Conversations are paced so clients can move at a comfortable rate and test approaches that feel useful.

Paula’s background as an LCSW means she has long experience working in clinical settings and community care. That experience informs a straightforward, compassionate approach that focuses on day-to-day improvements and clearer decision making.

Focus areas and approaches

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

Online support

Evidence-based approaches and online care

Paula uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques that focus on practical skills and emotional processing. One common approach helps people learn grounding and breathing strategies, thought awareness, and behavior changes to reduce anxiety and stress. These techniques teach concrete steps to interrupt worry and re-establish a sense of control.

Another approach focuses on grief and loss work, where the emphasis is on naming painful feelings, rebuilding routines, and finding gradual ways to reconnect with life. This helps when major changes make daily life feel unstable and overwhelming.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, try methods that fit the person’s needs, and adjust plans over time based on what proves helpful. Clients take part in choosing what to try and how fast to move.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to meet. Video calls let people use visual cues and maintain a stronger sense of connection. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text-based messaging work well for quick updates, brief coping suggestions, and ongoing support between longer sessions. These options make it easier to schedule care around work, family, and daily life.

We will earn a commission if you sign up through our link, at no cost to you. It does not change what you pay or the order of the listings.

Questions people ask

What concerns does Paula address?

She works with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, coping with life changes, and LGBT-related concerns.

How would you describe her therapeutic style?

Her approach is warm, direct, and practical, focusing on clear coping strategies and small, usable changes between sessions.

How much experience does she have?

Paula has 20 years of experience working in clinical and community settings.

What are her credentials and where is she based?

She is a licensed clinical social worker - LCSW - practicing in North Carolina.

Which languages are sessions offered in?

Sessions are offered in English.

What session formats are available?

She provides video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging for therapy.

How are costs handled?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability, and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

How do I begin working together?

Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.

Is this your profile?

Ask us to correct details or take the page down.