Therapy That Feels Human
Paula Ackermann, LCSW
In-person in Wilmington and online throughout NC & SC
Life can be messy. Therapy can help us make sense of it.
Therapy that’s authentic, thoughtful, and tailored to you.
You’re probably here because life feels hard right now and you feel stuck. Maybe you don’t feel like yourself, something from the past keeps affecting you, or you feel worn down from not sleeping well.
Whatever you are feeling is welcome here, and we can sort through it together.
We’ll get curious together about what’s coming up for you—your thoughts, emotions, and patterns—and start making sense of how your experiences have shaped you. That might mean slowing down and noticing what’s happening in the moment, looking at things from a different perspective, or having space to talk about things you haven’t been able to say out loud before.
I see my role as a guide in this process, helping you understand yourself in a way that feels practical, engaging, and relevant to your life.
This means not just listening, but asking good questions and bringing in tools and approaches that help you feel more at ease and create meaningful change. Depending on what brings you in, we’ll tailor how we work so it fits your needs.
I work best with people who are open to getting curious about what’s going on inside, including how you think about and respond to yourself, noticing and connecting with your body, and making connections between the past and present. We’ll also make room for the bigger picture—your environment, your relationships, and the systems you’re a part of—as we figure out what helps you move toward the life you truly want.
How I approach this work:
Therapy with me is genuine. I didn’t start out in this field—I found my way here after experiencing the power of EMDR with my therapist. That experience is what led me to become a clinical social worker in my 40s.
After I graduated, I worked as a medical social worker at the VA for seven years where I also designed and led a “Sleep Well for Whole Health” group. That experience shaped how I think about therapy—balancing practical, structured approaches with space for more individualized, exploratory work. The approaches I use are ones I believe in, both from my own experience and from years of working with clients.
I show up as a real person in the room. I pay close attention—not just to what you’re saying, but to how you’re experiencing it. The shifts in your emotions, the moments where something feels off or worth slowing down and paying attention to. I’m gentle, but also direct when it matters—especially if I notice you minimizing your experience or being harder on yourself than you need to be. I know how much courage it can take to talk about the things that hurt, and I approach that process with care and respect.
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MSW, University of North Carolina Wilmington (2015)
Certified EMDR Therapist, EMDRIA
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NeuroAffective Touch
Level 2 NARM Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)
Recent Event Trauma
iRest Yoga Nidra (Level 1 Teacher)
Sensorimotor Guided Drawing (Certificate)
Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents
HeartMath (Certificate)
Polyvagal Theory (Deb Dana)
Art Journaling
Understanding Dissociation
What Matters in This Work
Presence
Being with you in a way that’s attentive, grounded, and attuned to what’s happening in the moment.
Curiosity
We take the time to understand what’s really going on. There’s no pressure to have a clear answer—just space to explore how your experience makes sense.
Belonging
All of you is welcome here. I provide affirming therapy for LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent clients that honors your identity and specific challenges.
Collaboration
This isn’t a one-size-fits-all process. We work together to find what fits you, your needs, and what actually helps thing change. Your feedback is always welcome.
Reflection
Noticing patterns, naming what’s happening, and offering perspective when it’s helpful.
Methods:
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Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing EMDR helps your brain and body process painful experiences that may still be affecting how you feel, think, and respond today. As memories become less overwhelming, many people notice they feel calmer, more grounded, and less stuck in old patterns. EMDR can help you move forward with greater clarity, resilience, and a deeper sense of ease.
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia CBT-I is a structured, evidence-based approach that helps you understand and change the thoughts and habits that interfere with sleep. Together, we’ll identify the patterns keeping you awake and develop practical strategies to help your body relearn how to sleep naturally. Rather than relying on medication alone, CBT-I addresses the underlying causes of chronic insomnia. Many clients begin to fall asleep more easily, wake less often during the night, and feel more rested during the day. Over time, sleep can become something you trust again rather than something you dread.
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Integrative therapy is a personalized approach that draws from a range of evidence-based and experiential methods to support your unique needs and goals. Depending on what feels most helpful, our work may include Motivational Interviewing, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), parts work, NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM), and EMDR. Rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach, we work together to find the tools and perspectives that best support your growth and healing.
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NeuroAffective Touch NeuroAffective Touch® is a gentle, body-based approach that includes therapeutic touch, somatic contemplations, and mind-body dialogues to help address the effects of early relational and developmental experiences. These interventions can access patterns that were formed before words and support you in feeling more safe and balanced.