Trish Schnabel

Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)

Trish Schnabel is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a Licensed and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (LBA, BCBA), a combination that allows her to support individuals across different age groups and with a wide range of needs. By drawing from both mental health counseling and applied behavior analysis, she works with children, teens, and adults experiencing mental health concerns, executive functioning challenges, or autism spectrum diagnoses. Her approach blends emotional guidance with behavior-based strategies to help clients build coping skills, strengthen relationships, improve communication, and adjust to life changes with more confidence. With more than 25 years of experience working with individuals on the autism spectrum, she has developed a clear and consistent method of support. Her counseling work also includes helping individuals address depression, anxiety, daily stressors, military family challenges, codependency, and ADD/ADHD.

Professional Experience

She currently serves as an LPC at Paraclete Counseling, Inc., providing individual, family, and group therapy to clients with varying levels of need. Her work includes supporting individuals who experience anxiety, depression, trauma, difficulties with executive functioning, and relationship struggles. She combines her clinical counseling skills with her behavioral training to create treatment plans that follow best practices and meet her clients' specific goals. Her responsibilities include conducting comprehensive clinical assessments, developing treatment plans tailored to each individual, and coordinating with social workers, case managers, and psychiatrists to ensure a consistent, holistic approach to care. In addition to her counseling work, she has facilitated psychoeducational workshops on autism spectrum disorders, stress management, executive functioning, and healthy coping strategies. Her combined experience as both a Counselor and a Behavior Analyst allows her to guide both neurotypical and neurodivergent individuals as they work toward their therapeutic goals.

Since 2010, Trish has also operated an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) company. In her role as a Behavior Analyst with The Learning Ladder Behavior Analysis & Therapy, she provided therapeutic consultation to adults diagnosed with autism and individuals with developmental disabilities. Her consultation process included speaking with family members, caregivers, and the individual to gather information about concerns and clarify the desired results of the consultation. She also observed individuals in their natural environments, reviewed existing support strategies, and determined whether environmental adjustments or behavioral interventions were necessary to improve the person’s quality of life.

She has developed many therapeutic consultation plans and behavior support plans. In addition, she has trained group home staff, caregivers, and parents to help them better understand how to support individuals with autism. As an Owner and Board Certified Behavior Analyst at The Learning Ladder, she provided one-on-one ABA therapy to children with autism. Her work included completing direct and indirect behavioral assessments, identifying appropriate strategies for behavior change, and implementing therapeutic interventions. She has also supervised BCBA candidates and Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs), assisting them in learning assessment procedures, treatment planning, and intervention delivery.

A Life of Giving Back

A Volunteer with Military Families

As a military spouse, Trish has spent 20 years volunteering in support of military families and veterans. Her work has helped many people navigate the complex challenges associated with deployment cycles, long separations, reunifications, frequent relocations, and stress linked to combat experiences or PTSD. She was appointed to the Virginia Governor’s Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children, where she contributed to reducing educational barriers faced by children of active-duty service members who frequently move across state lines.

Her long-term dedication to supporting military families and her work with military children with autism earned her recognition through the National Infantryman’s Association Shield of Sparta award and the Department of the Army Commander’s Award for Public Service. She remains actively involved in her community by teaching religious education classes for individuals with special needs, preparing meals for special needs group homes, and volunteering at senior living facilities. She also participates in programs that honor veterans, including welcoming them at Washington, D.C., memorials through Honor Flights and taking part in Wreaths Across America each year. She is also a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).

While living in North Carolina, she recognized the need for sensory-friendly movie options for families with children with special needs. She presented the idea to a local theater, and it agreed to host monthly sensory-friendly showings. These showings featured brighter lighting, reduced volume, and an atmosphere where children were free to move, talk, and express themselves comfortably. This program became a valued community experience and was featured in the local newspaper on January 27, 2015.

Education

Trish earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. During this time, she served as a Research Assistant at the U.S. Army Research Institute. She later completed her Master of Education in Community Agency Counseling at Auburn University in Alabama, gaining experience in both individual and group counseling through practicum and internship placements. Her academic performance earned her recognition on The Chancellor’s List during her graduate studies.

In 2009, she completed her Board Certified Behavior Analyst Graduate Certification at Pennsylvania State University. Her coursework covered advanced ABA topics, including functional assessments, intervention evaluation, executive functioning, and strategies for supporting individuals with challenging behaviors. She also studied the application of ABA practices across family systems, classroom settings, and crisis or emergencies.

On the Personal Side

Trish Schnabel appeared as a contestant on the television game 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 winnings also included a trip to Italy, which she described as a Bucket List experience. Outside of her professional work, she enjoys traveling, attending concerts, spending time with family and friends, and walking her two Labrador Retrievers as part of her daily routine. During the fall, she often spends Saturdays watching college football and following SEC matchups.