Profile / United States
Laura Leatherman, LCSW
Virginia
LCSW - Anxiety and Relationship Concerns
See online therapy options- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
About Laura
Laura Leatherman is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Virginia with 12 years of clinical experience. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and family difficulties, anger, low self-esteem, trauma and abuse, and life changes. She also helps with sleep problems, parenting concerns, ADHD, and career questions.
Her work history includes outpatient counseling, hospital settings, a residential program, and an emergency shelter. That range gives her experience with short-term crises and longer-term concerns. She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, client-centered methods, and solution-focused techniques when these fit the person's goals.
Sessions focus on practical steps and on noticing thoughts and behaviors that maintain problems. She listens for what is getting in the way and suggests experiments to try different responses. Conversations include clear strategies for managing anxiety, handling anger, and improving communication in relationships.
She pays attention to past trauma and abuse when those experiences affect current functioning. When needed, she works on coping skills for sleep, stress, and overwhelming emotions. She also supports people facing family role changes, blended family challenges, caregiver stress, pregnancy and childbirth adjustments, midlife questions, and issues common to young adults.
Laura aims to build a working relationship based on respect and nonjudgment. She asks about goals and adjusts methods based on progress. Note that she is not available for live sessions at this time, so confirm the current session options before scheduling.
How CBT and practical approaches work in online sessions
Laura uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify thoughts and behaviors that keep problems going and to test small, practical changes that can reduce anxiety and low mood. CBT sessions often include clear exercises, thought records, and step-by-step plans to try between meetings.She also uses client-centered approaches that prioritize the person's concerns and pace, and solution-focused techniques that aim for concrete, short-term goals. Client-centered work emphasizes listening and building a working relationship, while solution-focused work targets what changes would make the biggest difference quickly.
Choosing an approach is a collaborative process. She will review goals and preferences, try methods that match those goals, and adjust as needed based on what helps. That means the plan can shift over time if different strategies work better.
Session formats are not listed in the original biography, so confirm available session options before booking. Online care can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. These practical benefits can help people maintain momentum while working on stress, sleep, parenting challenges, relationship communication, and other concerns.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
12+ years
Listed in
Virginia
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, anger, relationship and family difficulties, trauma and abuse, sleep problems, parenting issues, ADHD, and related life changes.
How does she use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
She uses CBT to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and habits, test new responses, and build practical coping strategies for anxiety, mood, and behavior.
What is her clinical background?
She has 12 years of experience and has worked in outpatient clinics, hospitals, a residential program, and an emergency shelter.
What credentials and region does she practice in?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) licensed in the state of Virginia.
Which languages are offered?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the U.S. work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are sessions paid for?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Use the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are not safe, use the crisis numbers.