About Paul
Dr. Paul Fernandez offers a practical, compassionate approach to therapy rooted in decades of experience. He focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, addiction, grief, relationship difficulties, and the challenges that come with major life changes.
Dr. Fernandez works in both English and Spanish and brings a steady, direct style to sessions. He has spent 30 years helping people from a variety of backgrounds, with particular experience supporting Latino and Hispanic communities in Southern California.
How Paul works
Cultural values, family expectations, faith, and immigration experiences are treated as important parts of a person's story when clients want to discuss them. This cultural context is woven into therapy when it matters to the person in the room. Sessions emphasize practical tools as well as understanding patterns and emotions.
He uses approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, cognitive behavioral strategies, emotionally-focused methods, client-centered work, and existential perspectives to address problems like substance use, relationship conflict, low self-esteem, and chronic stress. Therapy is collaborative and tailored to each person's goals.
For people facing substance use concerns, he focuses on identifying triggers, strengthening coping skills, and building a more stable routine rather than labeling or defining someone by past choices. For anxiety, depression, and anger, he helps clients recognize unhelpful patterns and practice realistic strategies that fit daily life. Dr.
Fernandez asks clients to move at a pace that feels right for them. To begin, clients complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule sessions according to therapist availability.
Paul lists 12 ways of working on the entry:
What Paul works with
The areas below are the ones Paul selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Relationship issues
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Antisocial personality
- Attachment issues
- Avoidant personality
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Cancer
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Dependent personality
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Eating and food-related issues
- Family conflicts
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Hearing impaired
- Hoarding
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Immigration issues
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Intellectual disability
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Narcissism
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Personality disorders
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic stress
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sex addiction
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexuality
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
- Traumatic brain injury
- Visually impaired
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Training and background
| Register | CA Psychologist |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 30 |
| Languages | English, Spanish |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | California |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
Therapeutic approaches and online care
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on helping people accept difficult thoughts and feelings while committing to actions that reflect their values. It is often used for anxiety, stress, and situations where someone wants to build a more meaningful life. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the connection between thoughts, feelings, and actions and teaches practical strategies to change unhelpful patterns; it can help with anxiety, depression, and coping skills. Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) helps people better understand emotions and attachment patterns, which can be useful for relationship struggles and healing from loss.Finding the right approach is part of the therapy process. Dr. Fernandez works collaboratively with clients to identify which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences. He combines techniques when appropriate and checks in to adjust the plan as progress unfolds.
If you are considering online therapy, confirm session options before booking since formats were not specified in the biography. Online care can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when schedules are tight. It can also let people join from different locations within California without needing to rearrange daily routines. Ask about available formats and scheduling when completing the matching questionnaire so you can choose what works best.
Start online instead of waiting
Our partner service asks a few questions about what you are looking for and matches you with a therapist for sessions from home.
Book with PaulWe will earn a commission if you sign up through our link, at no cost to you.
Common questions
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A practical next step
Write down two things you would want to be different in six months. That is the most useful thing to bring to a first session, whoever it is with. If you would rather start now than keep reading, online sessions are the quickest route.
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