Trish Schnabel

focuses on meeting emotional needs while helping individuals strengthen skills to build relationships, create coping tools, and navigate life transitions with steadiness. Across more than 25 years of working with individuals on the autism spectrum, she has guided people of many ages and backgrounds. Her counseling areas include depression, anxiety, life stress, military family challenges, codependency, and ADD/ADHD.

She currently works as an LPC at Paraclete Counseling, Inc., where she provides therapy for individuals, families, and groups. Her counseling covers concerns such as anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship struggles, and difficulties tied to executive functioning. In her sessions, she brings together her experience in mental health with her understanding of evidence-based behavior strategies. She conducts detailed clinical assessments, develops treatment plans that follow current standards, and collaborates with other professionals, including social workers, psychiatrists, and case managers. Her work also includes offering psychoeducational workshops on areas such as autism spectrum disorders, executive functioning, stress management, and healthy coping skills. Through her background as both a Behavior Analyst and a Counselor, she approaches clients with a well-rounded view that supports neurotypical and neurodivergent individuals in meeting their personal goals.

In addition to her counseling role, Trish has run an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) company since 2010. During her time as a Behavior Analyst with The Learning Ladder Behavior Analysis & Therapy, she provided therapeutic consultation to adults on the autism spectrum and to individuals with developmental disabilities. Her approach involved meeting with families, support staff, and the individual to understand concerns and define desired outcomes. She observed individuals in daily routines and natural environments, examined current support tools or strategies already in use, and assessed whether changes were needed to improve functioning. Her work included identifying areas that might benefit from modifications in a person’s environment or services.

She has designed many therapeutic consultation plans and behavior support plans over the years. She has also trained group home staff, parents, and caregivers, equipping them to better support individuals with autism. As an Owner and Board Certified Behavior Analyst at The Learning Ladder, she delivered one-on-one ABA therapy to children with autism. Her responsibilities involved completing direct and indirect behavioral assessments, recommending behavior change strategies based on assessment findings, and implementing intervention plans. She supervised BCBA candidates and Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs), helping them grow in the field through guidance and oversight. A Life of Giving Back

As a military spouse, she has spent 20 years volunteering with military families and veterans. Her work has helped individuals navigate deployment cycles, long separations, periods of reunion, frequent relocations, and stress linked to combat or PTSD. She served on the Virginia Governor’s Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children, where she helped address educational challenges faced by children of active-duty service members when moving between states.

Her long-term commitment to military families and her work with military children with autism led to her receiving the National Infantryman’s Association Shield of Sparta award and the Department of the Army’s Commander’s Award for Public Service. She continues to serve her community by teaching religious education classes for individuals with special needs, preparing meals for local special needs group homes, and volunteering in senior living facilities. She also supports programs that honor veterans, such as welcoming them to Washington, D.C., memorials through Honor Flights and participating each year in Wreaths Across America. She is also involved as a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).

During her time living in North Carolina, she noticed the need for sensory-friendly movie options for families who have a child with special needs. She presented the idea to a local theater, which agreed to host monthly showings with brighter lights, reduced volume, and the freedom for children to move or talk as needed. This monthly event became a valued community program and was featured in the Fayetteville Observer on January 27, 2015.

Trish completed a Bachelor of Science in Psychology at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. While earning her degree, she worked as a Research Assistant at the U.S. Army Research Institute. She continued her studies at Auburn University in Alabama, where she completed a Master of Education in Community Agency Counseling. During her graduate work, she completed practicum and internship experiences that included both individual and group counseling. She was recognized in The Chancellor’s List for her academic performance.

In 2009, she earned a Board Certified Behavior Analyst Graduate Certification from Pennsylvania State University. Her coursework included advanced ABA topics such as functional assessments, evaluating interventions, executive functioning, and supporting individuals with challenging behaviors. She also studied how ABA methods apply to family counseling, classroom systems, and crisis or emergency response situations.

Trish Schnabel appeared as a contestant on the show “Wheel of Fortune” in January 2020, where she won $65,495 in the Bonus Round by solving the puzzle phrase “Above and Below.” Her total winnings included a trip to Italy, fulfilling a long-held Bucket List wish. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, attending concerts, spending time with family and friends, and getting her daily steps by walking her two Labrador Retrievers. During the fall months, she spends her Saturdays watching college football and keeping up with SEC games.