Paula D. Atkinson (she/her)

LICSW
Accepting Clients

I am a playful, creative, permission-based, relational therapist.

Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Palm Springs, CA

About My Clients

I work mainly with adults, young people, members of the LGTBQIA+ community, couples/relationships, and anyone hoping to gain some peace, freedom and calm within their internal experience. I love working with those who suffer from years (sometimes decades) of dieting, disordered eating, food obsession, internalized weight stigma and body hatred. ​

My Background and Approach

I draw from liberation, somatic, and expressive arts modalities, as well as transpersonal, queer and eco-psychologies. For a decade I was a professor of Weight & Society at George Washington University. It was a body justice course that explored the myths of current measures of health, our culture's thin idealism, and society's relentless oppression of large bodies. ​ I treat clients suffering from body and food issues with Body Justice-focused, weight neutral, anti-diet approaches. I am a member of The International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals, the National Association of Social Workers and the California Society for Clinical Social Work. ​

My Personal Beliefs and Interests

Engaging in individual therapy is such huge step in healing a relationship with oneself, one's internal experience of existence, and truly nothing is more important. With an eclectic bunch of tools in my toolbox, I support my clients in the development of self-compassion, infinite permission, and in releasing the unnecessary. I am an Internal Family Systems-trained therapist. I am also a trained psychic healer and a Reiki practitioner. ​ My style integrates principles and practices of spiritual psychotherapy, holistic healing, DBT, relational therapy, and interpersonal work. The feedback I receive from clients is that my style is comfortable, warm, compassionate, and authentic.

Insurance Plans Accepted
  • Cigna
  • Optum
  • Anthem Blue Cross Medical
  • Quest Behavioral Health
  • Oxford (Optum)
I offer online counseling in the following states:
I have experience with the following
  • Agnosticism
  • Atheism
  • Islam
  • The Satanic Temple
  • Sikhism
  • Taoism
  • Wicca/Paganism
  • Interfaith
  • Multifaith

At A Glance

  • Experience: 13 years of practice
  • Languages: English
  • Rate: $150 - 235/session

Info

Email Paula D.
1775 E Palm Canyon Drive
Suite 110
Palm Springs, CA 92264

Reach out to Paula D.