Laura Schmidt, LCSW-C

Laura Schmidt is a licensed clinical social worker in Maryland with 25 years of practice. She helps people who are overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, depression, relationship strain, and major life changes. Her approach is practical and direct, aimed at making everyday life feel more manageable.

She focuses on common and painful concerns like trauma and abuse, attachment and abandonment worries, caregiver stress, and problems with communication or control. She also supports people dealing with body image, isolation, mood disorders, and questions about life purpose and self-love. Sessions concentrate on clear steps people can use between appointments.

Laura often uses cognitive behavioral ideas to help people notice and change the thoughts that keep them stuck. She combines that work with trauma-informed and systems-based perspectives to see how relationships and social circumstances affect feelings. Somatic practices are also part of her work, helping clients reconnect with bodily signals and regulate strong emotions.

Her style is collaborative and strengths-focused. Clients are invited to name goals, try small experiments, and build skills that fit their daily routines. The aim is steady progress rather than quick fixes.

Laura’s long experience means she brings many practical tools to sessions and adapts them to each person’s situation. She works with people across a range of life stages who want to reduce distress and create more grounded, meaningful routines.

How therapeutic approaches inform online care

Laura uses evidence-based techniques such as cognitive behavioral ideas and somatic-informed work. Cognitive behavioral approaches focus on identifying thought patterns and testing new ways of thinking and behaving to reduce anxiety, low mood, and relationship tension. Somatic-informed work helps people notice bodily responses to stress and learn breathing and grounding practices to ease intense emotions.

Finding the right approach is treated as a joint process. The therapist and client will discuss goals, preferences, and what feels most helpful. Over time, they adjust methods so the work fits the person’s needs and daily life rather than forcing a single method.

If you are considering online therapy, confirm current session options before booking because formats were not specified in the biography. Online care can make therapy easier to fit into a busy schedule, reduce travel time, and allow for shorter check-ins when needed. It can also let someone choose a quieter time of day or avoid camera use if that helps with focus. Licensed professionals and therapists will work with clients to arrange session logistics that support steady progress and practical skill building.