Practitioner record · Checked 9 Oct 2026
Paul Pasternak has been in practice 25 years and is licensed in New York. Paul lists family conflicts, anger management and self esteem among 38 subjects on the BetterHelp roster.
Everything below is either quoted from Paul'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 Paul works with
Paul lists 14 specialisms and 24 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
Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.
My Name is Paul D. Pasternak and I am a Licenced Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in New York State. I have over twenty-five years of experience serving a wide variety of individuals in varied settings. This has given me deep reservoir of experience to draw upon when working with clients. My career has been spent assisting people cope with and overcome anxiety, depression, parenting challenges, relationship problems, addiction, and adjusting to life changes. I find it very rewarding to facilitate client change in difficult times; be it a young person adjusting to adulthood, a couple navigating the ups and downs of a relationship, or an older person adjusting to the challenges that come with age.
I use a strength-based, client-centered approach to my work. The process of change is guided by the client, focusing on the change they want in their life. My preferred tools to achieve this are Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment. A unique and specific Care Plan is created with each client that targets those specific areas that may require change. Progress is noted and adjustments made along the way to help the client achieve their goals. All this will be done in an environment that is nurturing, empathetic, cognizant of past trauma, and focused on success.
It takes inner strength and dedication to start the journey of change. Most of all it requires hope. Hope, and some work, can grow into the change needed to make a life you desire.
I look forward to taking this journey of hope and change with you.
Paul Pasternak, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026
03 · How Paul works
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.
04 · What happens next
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.
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.
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.
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.
05 · Before you commit
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 Cognitive Behavioural 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 25 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
07 · Provenance
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 9 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 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.
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