About Trish Schnabel
Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
Trish Schnabel is both a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a Licensed and Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (LBA, BCBA), a rare combination that enables her to support individuals with a wide range of needs. With training in both mental health counseling and applied behavior analysis, she helps children, teens, and adults who experience mental health concerns, challenges with executive functioning, or autism spectrum diagnoses. Her approach combines emotional support with behavior-based strategies, helping clients build coping skills, strengthen social communication, and manage life transitions with greater confidence. With more than 25 years of experience working with individuals on the autism spectrum, she has developed a steady and informed approach to guiding those she serves. Her work in counseling includes supporting individuals dealing with depression, anxiety, daily stress, challenges faced by military families, codependency, and ADD/ADHD.
Professional Experience
Trish currently works as an LPC at Paraclete Counseling, Inc., where she provides therapy for individuals, families, and groups. Her clients present with a range of concerns, including anxiety, depression, trauma, difficulties tied to executive functioning, and relational challenges. She integrates her mental health training with evidence-based behavioral strategies to create treatment plans that meet recognized standards and align with client goals. Her responsibilities include conducting comprehensive clinical assessments, writing individualized treatment plans, and coordinating care with social workers, case managers, and psychiatrists. She has also led psychoeducational workshops on subjects such as autism spectrum disorders, stress management, executive functioning, and practical coping approaches. By combining her roles as a Counselor and Behavior Analyst, she provides guidance that supports both neurotypical and neurodivergent individuals as they work toward personal growth and therapeutic progress.
In addition to her counseling work, she has successfully operated an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) company since 2010. As a Behavior Analyst with The Learning Ladder Behavior Analysis & Therapy, she offered therapeutic consultation to adults diagnosed with autism and individuals with various developmental disabilities. Her work included interviewing family members, caregivers, and the individual to identify concerns and clarify the desired outcomes of consultation. She observed individuals in their daily environments, reviewed existing strategies and support tools, and assessed whether changes were needed to help the individual function more effectively.
Over the years, she has created numerous therapeutic consultation plans and behavior support plans. She has trained group home staff, parents, and caregivers to improve their understanding and ability to support individuals with autism. As an Owner and Board Certified Behavior Analyst at The Learning Ladder, she also provided one-on-one ABA therapy to children with autism. Her work included conducting direct and indirect behavioral assessments, identifying strategies for behavior change based on assessment results, and implementing therapeutic interventions. She supervised BCBA candidates and Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs), guiding them in assessment skills, treatment development, and intervention practices.
A Life of Giving Back
A Volunteer with Military Families
As a military spouse, Trish has devoted 20 years to supporting military families and veterans through volunteer work. Her involvement has helped individuals navigate deployment cycles, long periods of separation, reunifications, frequent relocations, and stress related to combat and PTSD. She was appointed to the Virginia Governor’s Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children, where she helped reduce educational barriers for children of active-duty service members who relocate between states.
Her long-term dedication 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 Commander’s Award for Public Service. She continues to stay active in her community by teaching religious education classes for individuals with special needs, preparing meals for special needs group homes, and volunteering in senior living facilities. She also participates in programs honoring veterans, including welcoming them to Washington, D.C., memorials through Honor Flights and joining Wreaths Across America each year. She is additionally a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).
During her time living in North Carolina, she recognized a need for sensory-friendly movie options so families with children with special needs could enjoy outings together. She brought the idea to a local theater, which agreed to host monthly sensory-friendly screenings. These showings featured raised lighting, reduced sound levels, and an environment where children were free to move, speak, and engage in ways that were natural to them. The program became an appreciated community feature and was highlighted in the local newspaper on January 27, 2015.
Education
Trish earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. During her undergraduate studies, 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, where she participated in practicum and internship experiences involving both individual and group counseling. She was recognized on The Chancellor’s List for her academic achievements during graduate school.
In 2009, she earned her Board Certified Behavior Analyst Graduate Certification from Pennsylvania State University. Her coursework involved advanced ABA topics such as functional assessments, intervention evaluation, executive functioning, and strategies for supporting individuals with challenging behaviors. She also studied ABA applications in family counseling, classroom systems, and crisis or emergencies.
On the Personal Side
Trish Schnabel appeared as a contestant on the television program “Wheel of Fortune” in January 2020 and won $65,495 in the Bonus Round by solving the phrase “Above and Below.” Her winnings included a trip to Italy, which she described as a meaningful 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.
Portfolio 1: https://trishschnabel.com Portfolio 2: https://trish-schnabel.com
