About Laura
Laura Shaw is a California licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) with 24 years of professional experience. She focuses on practical help for common struggles like stress, anxiety, grief, parenting concerns, and building self-esteem. Her approach is straightforward and person-centered, aimed at steady progress rather than quick fixes.
Laura creates a warm, nonjudgmental atmosphere where people can say what they think and feel. Sessions focus on immediate needs and useful skills, not lengthy theory.
How Laura works
She encourages small steps that add up to lasting change. Her work includes support around attachment concerns, caregiver stress, and communication problems. She also addresses life transitions such as divorce and separation, questions about life purpose, and challenges tied to guilt, shame, or forgiveness.
Post-traumatic stress and women’s issues are other areas she attends to with care. Laura blends client-centered therapy with cognitive behavioral therapy techniques to help clients notice thought patterns and build practical coping strategies. Conversations aim to clarify goals and try new ways of handling difficult moments.
Sessions often include straightforward tools to manage anxiety and improve day-to-day functioning. People who prefer calm, direct guidance and step-by-step plans often find her style helpful. The emphasis is on understandable language and real-world solutions.
She supports clients as they take the steps toward greater confidence and clearer direction.
Laura lists 2 ways of working on the entry:
What Laura works with
The areas below are the ones Laura selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Grief
- Parenting issues
Also listed
Training and background
| Register | LMFT |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 24 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | California |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
How client-centered and CBT techniques work online
Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and understanding the person’s experience. The therapist reflects what is shared, helps set goals, and supports self-directed change. This approach suits people who want validation and collaboration rather than directive advice.Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact. It teaches practical tools to notice unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviors that reduce anxiety or improve mood. CBT is useful for stress, anxiety, and for building skills to manage day-to-day challenges.
Choosing the right mix of approaches is part of the work. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t helped before. Together they decide whether client-centered listening, CBT techniques, or a combination will be tried and adapted over time.
Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different needs. Video is good for face-to-face conversation, phone works when bandwidth is limited, and chat or messaging can fit quick check-ins or ongoing support between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule and to keep up steady progress.
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Common questions
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A practical next step
Write down two things you would want to be different in six months. That is the most useful thing to bring to a first session, whoever it is with. If you would rather start now than keep reading, online sessions are the quickest route.
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