- CBT methods
- Motivational interviewing
- Mindfulness techniques
About Laverne
Laverne Santangelo is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Michigan with 10 years of counseling experience and a longer history of helping work that spans 25 years. She is a veteran who retired from the Army National Guard after 23 years of service. She lists stress, anxiety, addictions, mood disorders, and guilt and shame among the concerns she works with.
Laverne draws on work she has done in inpatient settings, community mental health, and group facilitation. She has supported people facing substance use issues and helped families learn more about addiction. She also has experience with clients who have severe mental illness and co-occurring substance concerns.
Her background includes life coaching and training in trauma-informed yoga, which she integrates alongside counseling when it fits a person's goals. She has worked with people dealing with shame, guilt, and forgiveness after reproductive loss, and she has created groups to help women move through life transitions.
In sessions she uses person-centered planning to set goals together. She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing, and mindfulness-informed approaches to help people test new ideas and try different coping skills. Sessions focus on clear steps and practical strategies rather than long academic explanations.
Laverne says she will work closely with clients to identify what they want to change and how to get there. She offers services in English and is open to working with people outside the United States. Before booking, readers should confirm current session options and formats directly through the scheduling process.
How her approaches translate to online work
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and building goals the client finds meaningful. It involves the therapist asking questions, reflecting what they hear, and shaping treatment plans with the client's priorities in mind. This approach helps when someone wants to steer the pace and focus of their own work.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is practical and skills-based. It breaks down thoughts and behaviors into manageable steps and teaches techniques for changing unhelpful patterns. CBT can be useful for anxiety, depression, guilt, and compulsive behaviors because it gives clear exercises to practice between sessions.
Mindfulness-informed techniques help people notice where they get stuck and develop attention skills to respond differently to difficult feelings. These practices are short, repeatable, and often practiced both during sessions and at home.
Finding the right method is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with clients to choose which approaches to try based on their goals, preferences, and what feels most helpful. That choice can change over time as progress is observed.
Session formats are not listed explicitly in the profile, so confirm current options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and avoid travel time. Many people find these practical benefits helpful when managing ongoing life demands.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
10+ years
Listed in
Michigan
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she address?
She works with stress, anxiety, addictions, mood disorders, relationship and family issues, and concerns such as guilt and shame among other focus areas.
How does she approach guilt and shame in sessions?
She uses person-centered planning alongside Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and mindfulness work to help clients name feelings and try practical coping steps.
What is her professional background?
She has ten years of counseling experience, additional life coaching and trauma-informed yoga training, and prior work in inpatient and community mental health settings.
What credential does she hold and where is she based?
She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) based in Michigan.
Can sessions be done in languages other than English?
Sessions are offered in English.
Does she work with international clients?
She does accept international clients, according to the profile details.
How are sessions paid for and what does cost look like?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time; confirm current pricing during the matching and scheduling steps.
How do I begin if I want to work with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session through the provided process.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.