Laura Todd, LCSW

Laura Todd is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people manage stress, anxiety, parenting challenges, depression, and major life changes. She works in California and speaks English and Spanish. Laura brings 16 years of experience to conversations that often feel urgent and overwhelming for clients.

She focuses on practical steps clients can use between sessions. Laura aims to build self-awareness and teach coping skills that make daily life easier. Sessions look at thoughts and everyday habits and how small shifts can reduce distress and improve functioning.

Her work often includes emotion regulation skills, problem-solving, and mindful practices so clients can respond to hard moments with more choice. Laura draws on several therapy approaches to match techniques to each person’s needs. She helps people connect values to actions and practice new ways of responding when stress or strong emotions arise.

Over 16 years she has supported people dealing with grief, trauma, addictions, interpersonal problems, and mood disorders. She also addresses concerns like OCD symptoms, postpartum depression, social anxiety, and issues around identity and life purpose. The emphasis is on clear, doable strategies rather than jargon.

Laura encourages straightforward goal-setting and ongoing skill practice. Prospective clients should confirm current session formats and scheduling options when they sign up. The process begins with a short matching questionnaire and scheduling based on therapist availability.

How specific approaches guide online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice thoughts and choose actions that match their values. It’s useful for stress, anxiety, and deciding what matters in life. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and testing them with real-world actions to reduce symptoms like worry and low mood. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) teaches emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills for intense feelings and relationship strain.

Choosing an approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t helped before. Together they will try techniques that feel right and adjust the plan based on what works in practice.

Confirm which session formats are available before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when schedules require them. It also lets people practice skills in the settings where problems occur, and can make follow-up between sessions simpler. Ask about current session options to see how they would fit into everyday life.