Laura Schmidt

Laura Schmidt is a licensed clinical social worker in Maryland who helps people facing stress, anxiety, depression, and relationship struggles. She often supports those dealing with life changes, trauma and abuse, and feelings of isolation or loneliness. Her approach is practical and collaborative, with attention to both thoughts and bodily experience.

She uses cognitive-behavioral ideas to notice and shift patterns of thinking that contribute to distress. That work is paired with trauma-informed and systems-oriented thinking that looks at how relationships and life circumstances shape reactions. Somatic techniques are also part of her practice to help people notice bodily signals and calm the nervous system.

Her style is strengths-oriented and collaborative. Sessions focus on setting concrete goals, naming unhelpful patterns, and building tools people can use between meetings. She emphasizes small, steady changes that fit into everyday life rather than quick fixes.

Over a 25-year career, she has helped people address attachment concerns, communication problems, caregiver stress, body image, and recovering from past hurt. That long experience informs a flexible practice that adapts to each person’s needs and pace.

Laura frames therapy as a partnership. Together with each person she identifies priorities, experiments with approaches, and tracks progress. The aim is clearer self-understanding, improved coping, and stronger connections to the life a person wants to build.

How therapeutic approaches adapt to online work

Laura uses evidence-based techniques that focus on thoughts, relationships, and bodily experience. Cognitive-behavioral methods help people identify unhelpful thinking and practice new responses, which can be done through guided exercises and homework between sessions. Somatic approaches invite attention to breath, posture, and bodily sensations to reduce dysregulation and return the nervous system to steadier states; these practices translate to online coaching and in-session body-awareness exercises.

She also draws on trauma-informed and systems-oriented ways of thinking to notice how life context and relationships affect feelings. Finding the right mix of these approaches is collaborative - the therapist and client will discuss goals, try methods, and adjust based on what feels most useful. The work is paced to the person’s comfort and goals rather than a fixed program.

Practical benefits of online therapy include easier fitting of sessions into busy schedules and fewer barriers to maintaining continuity over time. Confirm current session options before booking to learn which formats are offered for this therapist. Online sessions can make it simpler to schedule shorter check-ins, avoid travel, and keep therapy consistent during life transitions.