Laura Todd, LCSW - Therapist in California

About Laura

Laura Todd is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, parenting strain, and life changes. She speaks English and Spanish and brings 16 years of experience in California. Her work is straightforward and focused on practical steps that fit everyday parenting life.

Laura aims to help parents and individuals notice patterns that get in the way and learn small, usable skills to handle them.

Background and approach

Sessions often focus on building awareness, managing strong emotions, and improving communication. She draws from therapies that teach coping tools and new ways to respond to hard moments. Her approach emphasizes real-world practice.

People leave sessions with clear ideas to try between meetings, and then they check what worked. Laura uses simple exercises from cognitive behavioral therapy to change unhelpful thoughts and actions. She also uses mindfulness tools to help calm stress and improve focus.

When pain comes from trauma or persistent distress, she applies trauma-informed techniques and strategies drawn from dialectical behavior therapy to reduce reactivity. Motivational interviewing helps when someone is ambivalent about change, such as with addictions or big life shifts. These methods are blended to match each person’s needs.

Laura believes growth is ongoing and practical. She guides clients toward greater self-awareness and everyday skills so they can face parenting challenges, grief, or anxiety with more confidence. The work is collaborative and paced to each person’s readiness.

Therapeutic approaches for online parenting and stress support

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify what matters most to them and take committed steps toward those values despite difficult thoughts or feelings. It is useful for managing anxiety, parenting stress, and life transitions by shifting focus from trying to avoid feelings to building a meaningful life.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) targets unhelpful thoughts and behaviors with practical exercises. Clients learn to recognize thinking patterns that increase anxiety or depression and then test new ways of responding, which can improve mood and day-to-day functioning.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) offers concrete skills for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and better communication. These tools help when strong emotions or relationship conflicts make it hard to respond calmly, and they can be tailored to parenting and stress-related struggles.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to choose or blend methods based on goals, needs, and personal preferences. She adapts techniques as progress unfolds so the plan fits real life.

Online sessions are offered as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility for busy parents and individuals. These formats make it easier to access therapy from home, fit sessions into a packed schedule, and continue practice between meetings.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Less about arguing with difficult thoughts, more about loosening their grip and acting on what matters to you anyway. Values and committed action carry the work, which suits conversation at a distance.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT looks at the link between what you think, how you feel, and what you do. You work on noticing unhelpful patterns and practising steadier responses. It suits online sessions well, because much of the work happens between appointments and can be talked through from anywhere.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Concrete skills for riding out strong emotion, tolerating distress, and handling relationships without things escalating. The skills are practised in daily life, so between-session support by message or phone fits naturally.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does Laura commonly help with?

She works with stress, anxiety, depression, parenting issues, grief, trauma and related concerns such as ADHD, addictions, and anger.

What is the general style of therapy?

Sessions are practical and skill-focused, using tools from cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and dialectical behavior therapy to manage emotions and change unhelpful patterns.

How much clinical experience does she have?

Laura has 16 years of professional experience working with a range of concerns in California.

What are her credentials and location?

She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, CA LCSW 27946, practicing in California.

Which languages are available for sessions?

Sessions are offered in English and Spanish.

What session formats are offered?

Therapy is available via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging.

How does cost and billing work?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability and uses a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.

How do I begin working with her?

Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling based on therapist availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Stress, Anxiety
Parenting issues
Depression

Also works with

Therapeutic approaches

Experience: 16 years
Licensed: California
Languages: English, Spanish

Next step

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