Paula Ruefli-Spears Psychotherapy, LMHC

Becoming a therapist is definitely a natural progression from my last career. I have always been an entrepreneur and started working in a childcare center at 18. This progressed to running child development centers and other businesses. I built a company that was successful at taking over centers and businesses that were not doing well and turning them around financially. I worked with teams, staff, and leadership to make the changes needed. Along with consulting, I taught child development classes for childcare workers, conducted parenting classes, and guided leadership training. All this led to marriage and family therapy and clinical mental health counseling. I love to help people become who they want to be and find happiness and success in life and relationships.

I work with individuals, children, teens, couples, and families. It's important to get to know clients and their needs and wants for therapy through an initial phone interview and the first meeting. During the second or third appointment, we set up goals that the client would like to achieve. I believe that therapy happens more outside the therapy room than inside. Taking the skills and revelations learned in therapy and using them outside the therapy room is most useful to facilitating permanent life changes and meeting goals. I work with all types of clients, situations, and goals. I believe in collaboration, compassion, and using creative ideas to assist clients.

I enjoy continuing my knowledge and getting better at my skills to assist my clients. I take classes regularly and recently finished EMDR training, which I enjoyed. Since I work with families, I regularly work with and speak to other therapists who my clients are seeing. I believe it is important to coordinate care for my clients and get to know other therapists in my area so that I can make referrals if I am unable to take on a client.

I have worked with children since I was 12 and started babysitting. I continued this path professionally starting at the age of 18. I continued throughout my life and earned a degree in child studies/early childhood from Australia (where I lived). I have worked directly with children but I have also taught other teachers about early child development. It is my belief that we are best able to help children when we help those around them, including parents, extended family, siblings, teachers, and other therapists. I also teach courses on child and adolescent therapy and therapy throughout the lifespan in a marriage and family therapy master’s program at a local college. I enjoy that very much and am always broadening my experiences and knowledge.

I enjoy telehealth very much. I am glad we have a way to help and connect with our clients. I am interested in learning different techniques and techniques that have been researched and proven helpful in assisting clients in becoming the best versions of themselves.