Zara Paolucci, LPC

Zara Paolucci (pronouns: she/her) is a licensed professional counselor who works with children, adolescents, adults, and families. Her specialty interests include: children and adolescent issues, women’s issues, parent-child relationships, family conflict, anxiety, trauma, grief, self-harm, body image, life transitions, and intimate partner violence. She utilizes treatment approaches that are evidence-based and uniquely tailored to each client, meeting them wherever they may be in the counseling process and working together to build a strong therapeutic alliance.

Zara earned her master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling at Malone University. She completed her bachelor’s degree in human development and family studies from Kent State University, focusing on family life education. She has additional training in child abuse, child development, and early childhood mental health. She has a strong interest in lifespan development and finds ways that a person’s environment and interpersonal relationships can shape them to be very fascinating.

Prior to Wellness Grove, Zara has spent the last few years working in the educational field, including working at a community agency providing school-based mental health services for students from Head Start to 12th grade.

Zara loves working holistically with clients, their families, school personnel, and support staff to provide comprehensive lifestyle and mental health support. This is also where she grew to appreciate the importance of educating clients and their families on useful community resources to enhance their well-being.

Zara’s approach to counseling is holistic, collaborative, and person-centered. She believes in building a safe and comfortable environment where she can empower clients and function as a guide, helping them and providing resources to promote their own self-paced journey of healing and growth. She favors the use of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectal behavior therapy (DBT) in hopes of helping clients learn how to better control their thoughts and behaviors while focusing on mindfulness and positive coping strategies. She loves involving elements of expressive art and play techniques when appropriate. Zara also utilizes family psychoeducation in her practice to help families build stronger relationships by teaching effective problem-solving skills and positive communication. She has recently become certified in psychological first aid which allows her to provide support and care to individuals who experience traumatic events.

Her strengths include: kindness, empathy, patience, humor, and finding unique ways to connect with clients and build relationships.