Hi there, I'm Laurie! Do you wish providers would look at you through a whole person lens instead of discussing health and mental health separately? Do you want a provider for your child who is playful and skilled at engaging children? Are you an adult who likes a more personal, connected approach to therapy? Do you have a teen who has had difficulty connecting to other providers? Well look no further! I enjoy using storytelling, videos, and conversation to help clients of all ages improve self-esteem, self-worth and gain a better understanding of sense of self. A licensed clinical social worker and board-certified supervisor with over 25 years of experience working with children, teens, and adults, I spent much of that time working for the world-renowned Kennedy Krieger Institute, a Johns Hopkins affiliate, where I was also in leadership. I have post-graduate certificates in Treating Children & Adolescents, Leadership, Fitness Nutrition, and Integrative Medicine for Mental Health providers. More personally, I love hiking, watching Marvel movies, lifting weights, and crowd surfing at concerts. I believe we should never stop playing like children!
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
I prefer our first session to be fairly conversational, so I ask clients to fill out all intake questions prior to the session. I enjoy spending time building rapport and trust, without having to ask quite so many questions:)
What treatment methods and tools do you utilize?
Over the years, I've had clients with many different diagnoses, including Depression, ADHD, PTSD/trauma, OCD, eating disorders, Anxiety, chronic pain, and more. I have extensive training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), attachment/parent child relationships, trauma, Mindfulness, Play therapy, Dialectical Behavioral, Acceptance and Commitment, Trauma-Focused CBT, Emotional Freedom Techniques, and EMDR (as well as others).
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
My biggest strength is my ability to see my clients' strengths and help them expand upon them in meaningful ways. I am friendly, energetic, and love meeting new people. Making clients feel comfortable and accepted in sessions is very important to me. If it's your first time or your child/teen's first time in therapy, it's also important to me that it be a positive experience, and I work hard to ensure this!
Describe the client(s) you are best positioned to serve.
I have experience working with almost all ages and diagnoses, although most recently many of my clients tend to be anxious, self-critical, and fairly "perfectionistic." I see you! That said, I enjoy treating a variety of diagnoses, and really just hope to have engaged, fairly talkative, goal-oriented clients. It's okay if you aren't quite sure what you want or how to get there! I can definitely help with that. Because I am only seeing clients via telehealth, and my afternoon/evening slots fill up fairly quickly, please check with me prior to scheduling a new intake if you need a later appointment. I am also licensed in Maryland and Colorado, in the off chance someone needs to be seen in one or both states, like college students! **Please note: if your child is younger than 10, I generally recommend in-person therapy and most likely will refer your child to someone else. I am unfortunately only available virtually, and have found it hard to serve younger children effectively this way.