01 · Who Paul works with

Paul works with intimacy-related issues, self esteem and career difficulties

Paul lists 12 specialisms and 19 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Paul chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Paul's own words

What Paul says about the work

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

If you are feeling overwhelmed by a major life transition, struggling with patterns of co-dependency, or searching for a deeper sense of meaning, I am glad you are here. As a therapist partnering with adults and couples for over 30 years, I believe deeply that you are the expert on your own life and relationships. My role is not to judge, but to help you explore what truly aligns with your values and personal truths.

In our sessions, we will use practical tools like CBT to navigate your immediate, day-to-day challenges. However, the most transformative work happens in depth therapy. Together, we will look beneath the surface to address difficult questions, heal core wounds, and build a fulfilling life as you define it. When you are ready to take the next step, please reach out-I am gratefully here to support you on your journey.

Paul Hugens, on the BetterHelp listing · read 7 Nov 2026

03 · How Paul works

The 6 approaches Paul lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Paul lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Paul'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 Paul runs a session.

Client-Centred TherapyPerson-centred · Rogerian

The therapist does not steer toward a technique or a diagnosis. They offer sustained, non-judgemental attention and reflect back what they hear, on the premise that people find their own direction when they are genuinely listened to. Often what people mean by “someone who just gets it”.

Dialectical Behaviour TherapyDBT

A structured skills-led adaptation of CBT built around holding two things at once: accepting yourself as you are and working to change. Teaches concrete skills for distress tolerance, emotion regulation and relationships. Developed for people whose feelings arrive at overwhelming intensity, and strongest-evidenced there.

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.

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.

Internal Family SystemsIFS

Treats the mind as made up of parts - the critic, the one who withdraws, the one that keeps everything running - each of which is trying to protect you. The work is getting to know them rather than overruling them.

Also listed

• Existential Therapy

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Paul 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 Paul'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 Paul at this point.

2. Naming Paul specifically

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

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

4 questions worth asking Paul

Built from what Paul actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Paul's - Paul has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both Dialectical Behaviour Therapy and Client-Centred Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “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 35 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

LMHC

Licensed in

Florida

Licence

FL LMHC MH21753

Licence number

MH21753

Licence expires

31 Mar 2027

NPI

1760980353

Years in practice

35

Gender

Male

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

24 Jul 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Paul'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 7 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 Paul. 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.