Paul Pasternak, LMHC

Paul Pasternak is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) practicing in New York State with more than 25 years of experience helping people navigate difficult transitions and emotional challenges. He draws on a broad background of work in varied settings to support individuals across the lifespan, from young adults stepping into independence to older adults coping with age-related changes. His practice emphasizes practical, strength-based care that honors each person's capacity for growth.

He has focused much of his career on helping people address anxiety and depression, manage parenting and relationship difficulties, recover from addiction, and adapt to life changes. Paul offers a collaborative process in which the client's goals guide treatment, and he develops a tailored care plan that targets the specific areas where change is desired. Progress is tracked and the plan is adjusted over time to reflect what is working.

Paul uses Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as primary tools within a client-centered framework, creating a supportive, empathetic environment that is mindful of past trauma and oriented toward real-world results. He encourages hope and commitment as essentials for change and partners with clients to translate that hope into practical steps toward the life they want.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care with Paul Pasternak

Paul Pasternak draws on Client-Centered Therapy to place the client's goals and perspective at the center of the work, helping people feel heard and guiding change at their preferred pace. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is used to identify and shift unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns, often helping with anxiety, depression, and stress. Motivational Interviewing supports clients who are ambivalent about change by building motivation and clarifying personal reasons for taking action.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process and Paul approaches that choice collaboratively. He will work with each person to determine which methods align with their needs, goals, and preferences, adapting the plan as progress is made.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility - sessions can be scheduled as video calls, phone appointments, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit work, family, and other commitments. These options make access to licensed professionals and regular care more convenient, allowing clients to maintain momentum in treatment even when in-person visits are difficult.