Laura LeathermanLCSW

Laura Leatherman is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) based in Virginia with 12 years of clinical experience. She focuses on common concerns like anxiety, depression, stress, anger, and self-esteem. She also helps people coping with life changes, parenting challenges, sleep problems, and pregnancy and childbirth related worries. Sessions are offered in English. Her background includes work in outpatient counseling, hospitals, a residential program, and an emergency shelter. That variety shaped a practical approach to everyday problems. She listens without judgment and aims to build a trusting connection before moving to strategies for change. Laura uses cognitive-behavioral methods to help people notice and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. She also uses solution-focused techniques to set clear, achievable goals and track progress. Client-centered principles guide sessions so the person’s priorities lead the work. In practice she breaks concerns into manageable steps and focuses on what can be tried between meetings. For someone dealing with relationship tension, parenting strain, or midlife questions, sessions tend to mix concrete skills with time to talk through feelings. Trauma-related work emphasizes safety and pacing. She describes herself as respectful and kind, and she aims to tailor the work to each person’s needs and goals. Prospective clients should confirm current session options before booking, since live sessions are not available at the moment.

How her approaches fit into online therapy

Laura uses client-centered therapy to make space for each person’s priorities, listening first and following the client’s lead to decide what matters most. This approach is useful for people who want a supportive ear and time to sort out next steps.

She also uses cognitive-behavioral therapy, which focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing small behavior changes. CBT helps with anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and worry related to life transitions like pregnancy and childbirth. Solution-focused therapy is part of her work too, which means sessions often set clear, short-term goals and track small wins to build momentum.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. She will work with each person to figure out which method or mix of methods fits their goals and preferences. That means trying things, checking what helps, and adjusting the plan together as needs change.

Confirm current session options before booking, since live sessions are not available at the moment. If online sessions are arranged, they can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy day, allow shorter check-ins when needed, or remove travel time. Talk with her about which session length and format would best match your schedule and comfort.