Practitioner record · Checked 8 Nov 2026
Elizabeth Papa has been in practice 8 years and is licensed in Virginia. Elizabeth lists stress, Anxiety, family conflicts and eating disorders among 12 subjects on the BetterHelp roster.
Everything below is either quoted from Elizabeth's own BetterHelp listing, taken from public licensing records, or written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such. Nothing here is an availability promise, a review, or a rating.
01 · Who Elizabeth works with
Elizabeth lists 12 specialisms. Specialisms are the subjects Elizabeth chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.
02 · In Elizabeth's own words
Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.
Hello! I am a Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Play Therapist licensed in Virginia and California with experience working as a psychotherapist, play therapist, and life coach. I have worked with clients with a wide range of concerns including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, body image, relationship issues, parenting problems, military and veteran issues, PTSD, and ADHD. I also helped many people who have experienced trauma and/or emotional, psychical, and sexual abuse.
I hold the relationship between therapist and client in high regard and believe a positive, collaborative, therapeutic relationship is essential to the healing and growth process. I will strive to provide a warm and comfortable environment in which clients are free to explore themselves and their relationships and meet their specific goals. I works to promote understanding, compassion, healing, growth, and balance in the lives of my clients. I also hold the belief that there are many ways to approach therapy and will work with you to find what fits to your specific needs and goals. My approach combines cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, and mindfulness based counseling. I also used DBT techniques often throughout the counseling process.
Thank you for reading about me and for reaching out towards support for whatever it is you may be struggling with. Seeking the help you need and just taking the step to get started is a huge step and shows bravery and willingness. I look forward to helping you in this next step of your journey!
Elizabeth Papa, on the BetterHelp listing · read 8 Nov 2026
03 · What happens next
Elizabeth practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Elizabeth's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.
BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Elizabeth at this point.
BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Elizabeth is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Elizabeth.
You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.
A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.
Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.
04 · Before you commit
Built from what Elizabeth actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Elizabeth's - Elizabeth has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.
“How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”
Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.
“How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”
On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.
05 · Practical details
06 · Provenance
Elizabeth's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 8 Nov 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.
The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.
Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Elizabeth. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.
Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.
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