Laurie Jo McDonnell, LMFT

Laurie Jo McDonnell is a Florida-licensed marriage and family therapist with 25 years of experience. She focuses on helping people who are struggling with stress, anxiety, relationship strain, family conflict, grief, and depression. Laurie approaches clients with respect for their story and attention to their strengths. She encourages people to take the first step and honors the courage that brings them to therapy.

Laurie uses straightforward, collaborative work in sessions. She listens, helps clarify what matters most, and offers tools to change everyday thoughts and habits. That includes practical ways to manage anxious or depressive thinking and to improve communication with people who matter.

Her approach draws on several evidence-informed methods including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Emotionally-Focused Therapy. She also integrates Client-Centered methods and principles from the Gottman Method when relationship concerns are central. These approaches are used to help clients identify patterns, choose values-based actions, and rebuild connection with others.

Laurie has worked with a wide range of life challenges over her career, including caregiver stress, chronic illness and pain, blended family issues, and grief after cancer loss. She helps people address attachment and abandonment wounds and long-standing family-of-origin problems. Sessions aim to make daily life more manageable and meaningful.

Sessions are conducted in English and are offered through the therapist's Florida practice. Before booking, clients should confirm current session options and scheduling details.

How Laurie’s Approaches Translate to Online Work

Laurie draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people notice unhelpful thoughts, identify what matters most to them, and take small steps toward those values. This approach is often useful for anxiety, depression, and for coping with grief or chronic illness.

She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to break down patterns of thought and behavior into manageable parts. CBT offers practical exercises that clients can practice between sessions to reduce worry and improve daily routines. Emotionally-Focused Therapy is used when relational connection is a core concern; it focuses on understanding emotions and reshaping interactions that create distance.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Laurie will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match their needs, goals, and preferences. She adjusts pace and techniques as the work unfolds so clients can try what fits and set realistic steps forward.

If you are considering online sessions, confirm the current session formats before booking. Online therapy can help fit work and family schedules, make it easier to keep regular appointments, and let clients practice new skills in their daily routines. Talk with Laurie about what will work best for you and how to structure sessions to match your life.