Meet Paula
I'm here
for the real
conversation.
I'm Paula Kirsch — licensed clinical social worker, certified sex therapist, and someone who genuinely loves this work. I'm also pursuing my PhD in Clinical Sexology at Modern Sex Therapy Institutes. Whatever brings you here, I'm not going to rush you into a box or hand you a worksheet. I want to understand you — your life, your history, what matters to you — and work from there.
Paula Kirsch
LCSW, CSTA little about me
People come to me carrying all kinds of things — old hurts, complicated relationships, questions about who they are or want to be. I don't have a formula for any of it. What I do have is genuine curiosity about people, deep clinical training, and a real commitment to sitting with you in it until something shifts.
"You don't have to arrive with the right words. You just have to show up — we'll figure out the rest together."
— Paula Kirsch, LCSW, CST
Real people with
real, complex lives.
There's no one type of person I work with — and I'd be skeptical of anyone who claims otherwise. People come to me at all kinds of junctures. Some have been in therapy before. Some have never told anyone what they're carrying. Some aren't sure yet what they even need. All of that is okay.
You're navigating something in your relationship
Maybe you're trying to reconnect, or recover from a rupture, or figure out whether you want to stay. Maybe it's about intimacy, or communication, or a pattern you keep repeating. I work with individuals and couples, and I take relationships seriously.
You're dealing with something from the past
Some things don't resolve on their own, no matter how much time passes or how hard you work around them. If you're ready to actually process what happened — not just manage it — I'd love to work with you.
You have questions about who you are
Identity, sexuality, desire, purpose — these are some of the most important questions a person can sit with. I hold them with care. Nothing you bring here will shock me or get pathologized. I'm genuinely interested in your experience.
Something's shifted and you're not sure what
Sometimes people come in because life just feels off, and they can't quite name it. That's a completely valid place to start. We don't have to know what we're looking for before we start looking.
You've tried therapy and it didn't quite land
That happens — not every therapist is the right fit, and not every approach reaches the same things. I work with a lot of depth and curiosity, and I try to be honest with you about what I see. If that sounds like what you've been looking for, let's talk.
You're in a hard season and need support
Grief, transitions, burnout, major decisions — sometimes life just gets heavy and you need someone who will actually show up for you. Not just validate. Not just listen. Actually be present with you in it.
I follow you —
not a protocol.
I have deep training in several approaches, and I use them — but I'm not attached to any one of them. What I care about is what's actually helpful for the person in front of me. Here's what I draw from most:
01
Sex Therapy
Sexuality, intimacy & identity
I'm certified in sex therapy through IBOSP and IAPST, which means this is a space where you can talk about desire, intimacy, identity, and your body without any of it being treated as a footnote or an awkward detour. It's just part of being human — and it matters.
02
Gottman Method
For couples and relationship work
Forty years of research on what actually makes relationships work — and what breaks them. I use this with couples and individuals alike, because understanding our patterns in relationships is some of the most important work any of us can do.
03
Logotherapy
Meaning, purpose & what comes next
Viktor Frankl's work on meaning isn't just philosophy — it's deeply practical. When you're at a crossroads, or something has lost its meaning, or you're asking what you actually want your life to be, this gives us a real way to work with those questions.
04
Brainspotting
Body-based trauma processing
Brainspotting reaches the parts of experience that talking alone often can't access — the places where old pain lives in the body and nervous system. I love this work because it meets people where they actually are, not where they think they should be.
Bringing new
knowledge to the room.
I'm pursuing my PhD in Clinical Sexology at Modern Sex Therapy Institutes (MSTI) because I'm genuinely fascinated by this work — by the research, by what we're still getting wrong, by how much the field is still learning. I've always wanted to understand things at a deeper level, not just practice from habit.
I bring what I'm learning in my research into the room with you. Not as theory — as something that actually shapes how I listen and what I notice.
My research sits at the intersection of sexuality, trauma, and identity. I care about these questions — academically and personally — and that care shows up in how I practice.
CST
Certified Sex Therapist — IBOSP & IAPST
LCSW
Licensed Clinical Social Worker — NY, CT & MI
12+
Years of clinical practice
The background behind
the work.
Licensure
LCSW, CST
Licensed Clinical Social Worker in New York, Connecticut, and Michigan
Certification
Certified Sex Therapist
Certified through IBOSP (International Board of Sexual Practitioners) and IAPST
Brainspotting
Phase 1 & 2 Trained
Advanced training in Brainspotting for trauma, dissociation, and performance
Couples Work
Gottman Level 2
Level 2 Trained in the Gottman Method for couples and relationship therapy
Platform
Telehealth, NY · CT · MI
Serving clients remotely across New York, Connecticut, and Michigan
Practice Model
Private Pay
Private-pay practice. Superbills provided for potential out-of-network reimbursement
Professional Bodies
IBOSP & IAPST
Certified member of the International Board of Sexual Practitioners and the International Association of Professional Sex Therapists
Continuing Education
PhD Student
Currently enrolled at Modern Sex Therapy Institutes (MSTI) — Clinical Sexology. Expected graduation: September 2027.
Let's connect
Whenever you're
ready to reach out.
You can schedule a free 15-minute consultation to share a little about what's going on and see if we're a good fit — or reach out through the contact form if you'd rather start there. Either way works.