Meet Diana

Dr. Diana Paulk works with individuals. She is a licensed psychologist and has more than 30 years of experience offering therapy in many different settings. She worked with children and adolescents early in her career and has provided workshops on trauma therapy for children. Currently, she works primarily with adults and the occasional adolescent. Over the years, she has come to relish working with individuals who are striving to overcome issues associated with recent or past trauma – symptoms such as stress, avoidance and overwhelming feelings of anxiety, depression or worry. Dr. Paulk is certified as an advanced trauma specialist by The Center for Trauma and Embodiment at the Justice Resource Institute in Needham, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston. The program lasted 9-months and was conducted by recognized trauma experts, including Bessel van der Kolk, MD. She is also a Level 2 trained IFS therapist (Internal Family Systems Therapy), and assists with training programs conducted by the IFS Institute (ifs-institute.com).

When not at work, Dr. Paulk is an advocate for domestic and international adoption. Her daughter, Lily, was adopted from China in 2008. Lily is a gymnast who also assists BATT with our social media content from time to time to give us a more youthful viewpoint! Dr. Paulk was trained as a classical pianist with an undergraduate degree in Music Therapy, and is currently a member of the Alabama Civic Chorale. Dr. Paulk’s family includes Sadie, lovingly called “Miss Sassy Pants.” Sadie has identity issues – she is a Shih Tzu who believes she’s a Doberman! While the COVID lockdown interfered with our dream for Sadie to become BATT’s resident therapy dog, Sadie occasionally makes appearances at BATT for special celebrations, like the beginning of the school year.