Trish Schnabel holds dual credentials as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a Licensed and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (LBA, BCBA), a combination that enables her to support individuals with a wide range of emotional, behavioral, and developmental needs. With this background, she works with children, teens, and adults who experience mental health concerns, difficulties with executive functioning, or autism spectrum diagnoses. Her work brings together counseling principles and behavior-analytic strategies, allowing her to help individuals develop coping tools, build relationship skills, improve communication, and adapt to life changes with greater confidence. With over 25 years of experience working with individuals on the autism spectrum, she has remained committed to offering steady guidance and practical support. Her counseling focus also includes depression, anxiety, everyday stress, challenges within military families, codependency, and ADD/ADHD.
She currently serves as an LPC at Paraclete Counseling, Inc., where she provides individual, group, and family therapy. Her clients seek support for many concerns, including anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship struggles, and problems involving executive functioning. By blending her training in mental health counseling with her knowledge of evidence-based behavior strategies, she creates treatment plans that align with accepted standards and reflect each client’s needs. Her work involves conducting detailed clinical assessments, developing treatment plans, and collaborating with social workers, case managers, and psychiatrists to ensure coordinated care. She has also led a variety of psychoeducational workshops on topics such as autism spectrum disorders, stress management, executive functioning, and coping strategies. Through her dual perspective as a Counselor and Behavior Analyst, she assists both neurotypical and neurodivergent clients in setting realistic goals and working toward meaningful, lasting change.
Since 2010, Trish has also managed 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 with autism and individuals with developmental disabilities. Her consultation process included meeting with family members, caregivers, and the individual to understand concerns and clarify expected outcomes. She conducted observations in natural environments, reviewed existing support systems, and examined whether changes to the individual’s surroundings were needed to improve daily functioning.
Across her career, she has developed numerous therapeutic consultation plans and behavior support plans. She has trained group home staff, caregivers, and parents to help them better 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 responsibilities included carrying out direct and indirect behavioral assessments, suggesting behavior change strategies based on assessment results, and implementing treatment interventions. She has supervised BCBA candidates and Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs), offering guidance in assessment practices, treatment development, and intervention techniques.
As a military spouse, she has volunteered for 20 years in support of military families and veterans. Her service has helped individuals navigate deployment cycles, long separations, reunifications, frequent relocations, and stress linked to combat experiences and PTSD. She was appointed to 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 who frequently move between states.
Her dedication to military families, along with her work supporting military children with autism, earned her the National Infantryman’s Association Shield of Sparta award and the Department of the Army Commander’s Award for Public Service. Her service continues through her involvement in community programs, including teaching religious education classes for individuals with special needs, preparing meals for group homes that support them, and volunteering in senior living facilities. She also participates in programs that honor veterans, such as welcoming them to Washington, D.C., memorials through Honor Flights and contributing to Wreaths Across America each year. In addition, she is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).
While living in North Carolina, Trish noticed a lack of accessible movie options for families with children with special needs. She approached a local theater about creating sensory-friendly showings, and the theater agreed to host monthly screenings. These screenings featured raised lighting, reduced volume, and an environment where children were free to move, speak, or express themselves without pressure. The program became a vital community offering and was featured in the local newspaper on January 27, 2015.
She 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 in both individual and group counseling. Her academic achievements were recognized when she was included in The Chancellor’s List.
In 2009, she earned her Board Certified Behavior Analyst Graduate Certification from Pennsylvania State University. Her training covered advanced ABA topics, including functional assessments, intervention evaluation, executive functioning, and methods for supporting individuals with challenging behaviors. She also studied the applications of ABA within family systems, classroom environments, and during crises or emergencies.
Trish Schnabel appeared as a contestant on the television show “Wheel of Fortune” in January 2020 and won $65,495 in the Bonus Round by solving the phrase “Above and Below.” Her winnings also included a trip to Italy, which she saw as a Bucket List opportunity. 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 months, she spends her Saturdays watching college football and keeping up with SEC matchups.
