Therapist in San Diego, California Katie Paul, Therapist

Katie Elizabeth Paul helps adults develop steadiness, self-understanding, and practical coping skills when anxiety, trauma, or emotional overwhelm begin to interfere with daily life. Serving adults throughout California, she provides individual therapy that is warm, affirming, and grounded in evidence-based mental health care. Her work is especially supportive for adults navigating anxiety, depression, and trauma-related concerns while balancing relationships, identity, and life transitions. A central passion of Katie’s clinical work is helping clients heal from complex trauma, including long-standing patterns rooted in boundary difficulties, shame, harsh self-criticism, and chronic anxiety. She understands how these experiences can shape self-worth, emotional regulation, and relationships over time. Katie creates a safe, collaborative space where clients can gently examine these patterns, strengthen boundaries, and build a more compassionate relationship with themselves. Her approach emphasizes empowerment, emotional safety, and meaningful change rather than quick fixes. Katie primarily treats adults and draws from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and mindfulness-based approaches to support emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and long-term growth. She also works with additional concerns beyond these areas as clinically appropriate. Katie has experience providing affirming care for LGBTQ+ individuals and values creating a therapeutic environment where identity is respected and integrated into the healing process. Outside of therapy, Katie enjoys creative and expressive hobbies such as crocheting, journaling, scrapbooking, and painting. She also embraces play and imagination through interests like cosplay, Pokémon, anime, gaming, and tabletop card games, which reflect her belief in creativity, curiosity, and connecting with one’s inner child.