Types of Clients
Children, Adolescents, Adults, and Families
Treatment Specialties
Laura’s primary therapy focus is helping children, teens and adults function more effectively as well as getting more enjoyment out of their own lives and their relationships. She incorporates individual and family (as needed) therapy modalities to address client issues. She has extensive experience in working with life transition issues, anxiety, panic, social and separation anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, abuse, attention deficit, defiant behavior, issues of identity and individuation, parenting issues, stress management and self worth.
Training and Experience
Laura has a Masters of Science degree in Guidance and Counseling with an emphasis in marriage and family from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater earned in 1994. She worked in residential treatment post-graduate school at a facility for abused children and became a licensed professional counselor in the state of Illinois. She then took a break from her therapy practice to raise her children and got her licensure as a professional counselor in Wisconsin in 1998. Upon returning to therapy she was able to have the opportunity to work in a variety of settings, including: in-home therapy, a hospital affiliated out-patient clinic as well as private practice. She has enjoyed working with an assortment of individual client and family issues; having experienced diverse family configurations and cultures.
Techniques
Child/adolescent/adult assessment and therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), play therapy techniques, effective parenting approaches and family systems therapy, solution-focused therapy, interpersonal skills development, executive skills training, motivational interviewing techniques, psycho-education, relaxation and stress management skills along with lifestyle improvements. Developing a strong client-therapist relationship is paramount to effective outcomes in therapy and Laura uses that collaborative approach along with evidence-based treatment to make the most of the therapy experience. She is focused on taking a whole person approach that includes looking at the relationships that one has with family, friends, school, community, even the relationship with oneself and how that impacts overall mental health and functioning.