- Guilt and shame
- Parenting support
- Trauma and PTSD
About Laurel
Laurel Stephens is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, LCSW-R, practicing in New York with 20 years of professional experience. She works with adults facing stress, anxiety, depression, parenting pressures, and the impact of trauma and abuse. Laurel also addresses concerns such as blended family issues, divorce and separation, forgiveness, and feelings of guilt and shame.
Laurel approaches therapy as a collaborative process. She treats the person in front of her as the expert on their thoughts and feelings. She brings her clinical background and practical experience to help clients set clear goals and make forward steps. Conversations are shaped around what the client needs to work on first.
In sessions Laurel talks through how daily stress and past hurts affect current relationships and choices. She helps people untangle patterns that keep them stuck, and she supports clients exploring forgiveness, family tensions, and parenting decisions. Her work includes attention to mood disorders, social anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and the particular pressures young adults can face.
Laurel adapts the pace and focus of therapy to each client. She offers direct, plain feedback and practical steps alongside reflection on feelings. This can include looking at how guilt or shame shows up and what small changes might ease its hold.
Clients who choose her can expect steady, goal-oriented conversations. To begin, people complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule an initial session to outline priorities and next steps.
How therapeutic approaches guide online work
Laurel uses evidence-based techniques focused on practical change and emotional understanding. One common approach helps people identify and shift unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns that keep anxiety and low mood active. It is useful for stress, social anxiety, and everyday worries.Another approach concentrates on processing trauma and the ways past events shape current reactions. This work looks at how memories, triggers, and relationship patterns link to symptoms like hypervigilance or shame. It is aimed at reducing the power of those reactions over time.
Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. Laurel will talk with each client about their goals, preferences, and what feels most useful. She will suggest steps and check in regularly to adjust methods as needed so the work stays relevant.
Confirm the specific online session options before booking since formats were not detailed in the biography. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions around daily life, allow shorter check-ins when schedules are tight, and remove travel time. Licensed professionals often find that therapy done this way still supports careful, goal-focused progress.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Experience
20+ years
Listed in
New York
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she address related to guilt and shame?
She works with adults on guilt and shame that come from relationships, family roles, and past events. Other related areas include forgiveness, isolation, and blended family stress.
How does Laurel typically approach therapy?
She uses a collaborative style where the client is seen as the expert on their experience. She combines practical feedback with goal-setting and conversation about feelings.
How much experience does she have with trauma and mood issues?
She has 20 years of professional work in areas including trauma and abuse, post-traumatic stress, and mood disorders.
What are her credentials and where does she practice?
She is an LCSW-R licensed in New York and practices there.
Does she conduct sessions in other languages or work with international clients?
Sessions are offered in English. She does not accept international clients at this time.
Which session formats are offered?
Please confirm current session options before booking, as formats are not specified in the biography.
How are fees structured for sessions?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What is the process for getting started?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.