01 · Who Patricia works with

Patricia works with stress, Anxiety, relationship issues and self esteem

Patricia lists 18 specialisms. Specialisms are the subjects Patricia chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Patricia's own words

What Patricia says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

Hi! My name is Patricia Searels and I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. I have worked in a variety of settings such as universities, private practice, and non profit centers for over 20 years. I have worked closely with college students, athletes, young professionals, and adults of all ages suffering from adjustment disorders ( moving, new parents, job changes, divorce) depression, anxiety, trauma, and those who are experiencing loss or relationship issues.

My counseling style is is to create a genuine relationship that is caring, direct, and cooperative. I believe that when people are treated with respect and in a safe, healthy and honest relationship, growth can occur. My approach combines cognitive-behavioral, solution focused, and motivational interviewing counseling. The therapeutic process looks different for each individual, and my belief is in finding a unique, individualized and wholistic approach for each client. I always meet the client where they are and their personal goals will drive our work together.

My hours are pretty flexible and I prefer to have some voice or face to face time in addition to text. I believe in providing the tools you need to live a happier more fulfilling life. By reaching out for support and help you have already taken the first step towards improving your life and achieving your goals.

I look forward to working with you!

Patricia Searels, on the BetterHelp listing · read 10 Oct 2026

03 · How Patricia works

The 6 approaches Patricia lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Patricia lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Patricia's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Patricia runs a session.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

Eye Movement Desensitisation and ReprocessingEMDR

A structured trauma protocol in which you hold a distressing memory in mind while following a repeated side-to-side cue. The mechanism is still debated; the outcome data in post-traumatic stress is strong enough that it appears in national treatment guidelines.

The Gottman Method

A couples approach built on decades of observational research into what distinguishes relationships that last. Structured and assessment-led: it maps friendship, conflict and shared meaning, then works on the specific mechanics of how the two of you argue.

Mindfulness-Based TherapyMBCT

Trains attention on what is happening right now - body, breath, the thought as it arrives - so distress can be observed rather than automatically acted on. Strongest evidence is in preventing depression from recurring, and it is usually taught as a practice you keep doing outside the session.

Solution-Focused Brief TherapySFBT

Starts from where you want to end up rather than from how you got here. Sessions look for the times the problem is already smaller and work out what is different about those, so the number of sessions tends to be short and the work concrete.

Trauma-Focused TherapyTF-CBT · trauma-informed

CBT adapted for people whose difficulty is rooted in a frightening or overwhelming event. Pacing is the point: safety and stabilisation come first, the memory itself is approached gradually and only when you are ready, and the aim is that recalling it stops hijacking the present.

Also listed

• Somatic Therapy

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Patricia 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 Patricia's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   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 Patricia at this point.

2. Naming Patricia specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Patricia 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 Patricia.

3. If the caseload is full

   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.

4. The first conversation

   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.

5. If the fit is wrong

   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.

05 · Before you commit

3 questions worth asking Patricia

Built from what Patricia actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Patricia's - Patricia 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.

• “With 28 years in, what has changed most in how you work?”

  Long experience is only an advantage if it has been examined. This tends to surface whether it has.

• “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.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LPC

Licensed in

Florida

Licence

SC LPC 9683, NC LCMHC 14995

Licence number

MH16551

Licence expires

31 Mar 2027

NPI

1306372313

Years in practice

28

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Patricia'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 10 Oct 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 Patricia. 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.