Laura Pengelly, LMFT

Laura Pengelly is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) who welcomes people and families seeking support for relationship, emotional, and life challenges. She approaches therapy with warmth and active engagement, aiming to understand each person as a whole and to consider the many roles and relationships that shape daily life. Her practice emphasizes respect and compassion while helping clients explore thoughts and feelings and identify practical steps forward.

Over more than 17 years working with individuals and families, she has helped clients address a wide range of concerns including depression, anxiety, anger, grief, parenting and intimacy-related issues. She also has extensive experience with trauma and is certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, a structured method used to address the effects of traumatic experiences. As an LMFT she is trained to work with relationship dynamics as well as individual symptoms, bringing both systemic and individual perspectives to therapy.

Clients can expect a collaborative, solution-minded process in which Laura works alongside them to reframe problems, build coping strategies, and find realistic options that fit their lives. She encourages people who are ready for change to take the next step toward clearer thinking, better communication, and improved well-being.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Support

Laura Pengelly uses evidence-based approaches that translate well to remote work, offering clear structure and collaborative problem solving. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and then developing practical strategies to change them; it is often used for anxiety, depression, stress, and mood concerns. Trauma-Focused Therapy provides targeted tools to process and reduce the ongoing impact of traumatic experiences, with an emphasis on safety, stabilization, and gradual coping skill building. Solution-Focused Therapy concentrates on clients' strengths and on small, achievable changes that move life in a preferred direction, which is useful for relationship goals, parenting challenges, and short-term concerns.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Laura collaborates with each client to assess needs, goals, and preferences and then adjusts methods over time so therapy fits the person and the situation. This collaborative stance helps clients stay engaged and make steady progress.

Online sessions via video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging make it easier to fit therapy into busy lives and to access licensed professionals from home or work. These options provide flexibility in scheduling, allow continuity of care when travel or life changes occur, and support different comfort levels with communication styles.