My name is Paul Pennington and I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor in the central Texas area. I completed a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from Texas State University and a Master of Education in Guidance and Counseling at Angelo State University. I am also a Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) Practitioner trained through the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development at Texas Christian University. I have over 15 years of mental health experience in a variety of settings ranging from schools, private practice, residential facilities, and even crime scene crisis counseling. I have had the privilege of helping people with various issues such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, trauma, abuse, life transitions, relationships, existential issues, and other obstacles that have caused an imbalance in their lives.

Hutto Counseling came to be after noticing a growing need for mental health services in the eastern Williamson County area. I am proud to serve both the local community I grew up in and the entire state of Texas from the smallest of communities to the largest cities in our state.

Everyone is different and we all have different needs at different times, so the type of approach we use will depend on the situation. Generally, the most beneficial approaches I have found are Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Trust-Based Relational Intervention, Solution Focused Therapy, and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. At some point all relationships have difficulties, it can be a relationship with a spouse, coworker, friend, parent, child, someone you met in a line, or even your relationship with yourself.

We all need help from time to time and I am here to help you navigate whatever life may be throwing at you.

SPECIALTIES

• Working with teachers and first responders
• Stress
• Anxiety
• Relationship issues
• Trauma and abuse
• Parenting issues
• Anger management

Also experienced in issues including:

Addiction, LGBTQ+, Family conflict, Grief, Intimacy-related issues, Self esteem, Career difficulties, Bipolar disorder, Depression, Coping with life changes, Coaching, Compassion fatigue, ADHD, Abandonment, Autism and Asperger Syndrome, Blended Family Issues, Caregiver Issues and Stress, Commitment Issues, Communication Problems, Control Issues, Divorce and Separation, Fatherhood Issues, First Responder Issues, Impulsivity, Infidelity, Intellectual Disability, Life Purpose, Men’s Issues, Midlife Crisis, Military and Veterans Issues, Mood Disorders, Multicultural Concerns, Panic Disorder and Panic Attacks, Personality Disorders, Polyamory/Nonmonogamous Relationships, Posttraumatic Stress, Social Anxiety and Phobia, Workplace Issues

Clinical approaches:
Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Existential Therapy, Jungian Therapy, Mindfulness Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Trauma-Focused Therapy