- Client-centered approach
- Focus on coping skills
- Practical guidance
About Laura
Laura Shaw is a licensed marriage and family therapist who has practiced in California for 24 years. She focuses on helping people manage stress and anxiety, cope with grief and loss, and work on parenting concerns. Her approach centers on listening carefully and creating a welcoming space for honest conversation.
She uses a client-centered stance that lets each person steer what matters most in sessions. That means sessions begin with the client's priorities and move at a pace that feels right for them. Laura also uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help people notice unhelpful thinking patterns and try practical steps to change them.
In sessions she aims to reduce shame and boost self-esteem through steady, respectful feedback. She helps people sort through guilt, forgiveness, and life purpose questions with clear, down-to-earth language. Parents often get support around communication, motivation, and balancing caregiver stress alongside other responsibilities.
People dealing with major life changes, divorce or separation, and post-traumatic stress find concrete strategies and emotional support in her work. Attachment concerns and relationship patterns are addressed in ways that feel approachable rather than technical. Laura describes the therapeutic space as one where people can speak openly and take small steps toward a happier life.
Her style is encouraging and practical. She partners with people who want to build coping skills, increase confidence, and find clearer direction. To begin, clients choose the Start Therapy pathway and complete a short matching questionnaire.
How Client-Centered and CBT Work Online
Laura uses client-centered therapy to make space for each person to set the agenda and be heard. This approach focuses on empathy, reflection, and following the client’s lead to build trust and clarity.She also draws on cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps people spot patterns of thinking that feed anxiety or low mood and test practical new behaviors. CBT is often used for stress, anxiety, and ways of coping with life changes.
Finding the right approach is part of the process and is decided together. Laura will collaborate with the client to match methods to their goals, needs, and comfort level so therapy feels useful and manageable.
Session formats are not specified here, so confirm current options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, shorten commute time, and allow check-ins from different locations. It can also make it simpler to schedule brief follow-ups or steady weekly work without rearranging large parts of a day, which many people find helpful when managing parenting and caregiver responsibilities.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
24+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Laura commonly help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, grief and loss, parenting questions, self-esteem, and coping with life changes. Additional focus areas include attachment issues, caregiver stress, communication problems, divorce and separation, and women’s issues.
What is her therapeutic style like?
She takes a client-centered approach that follows the client’s priorities and pace. She also uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help identify unhelpful thoughts and try practical changes.
How much experience does she have?
Laura has 24 years of professional experience practicing as a therapist in California.
What credential does she hold and where is she based?
She is licensed as an LMFT, licensed in California, and her practice is based in that state.
Which languages are available for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the United States work with her?
She is not currently accepting international clients.
How are sessions priced?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I get started with therapy?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions according to the therapist’s availability.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the crisis numbers.