- Emotion-focused work
- Substance use support
- Mindfulness skills
About Laura
Laura Hennessy is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing in New Jersey with 13 years of clinical experience. She has worked extensively in community mental health settings and with people who have mental health and substance use concerns. Laura focuses on engagement, building insight, and supporting motivation in sessions.
She helps with stress, anxiety, depression, mood disorders, and coping with life changes. Addictions, anger, intimacy-related issues, and trauma and abuse are also areas she addresses. Additional focuses listed include abandonment, attachment issues, codependency, communication problems, and sexual assault and abuse.
Laura draws on Emotionally-Focused Therapy to look at emotions and relationship patterns. She also uses Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing to help people identify patterns and try practical changes. Sessions aim to make feelings clearer and to find small steps that feel doable.
Her background includes long-term work at a nonprofit community mental health center. That experience brought regular work with adolescents and adults living with co-occurring mental health and substance use challenges. The practice emphasizes active listening, clear feedback, and collaborative planning for next steps.
People who reach out can expect straightforward talk, attention to their emotional experience, and a focus on motivation and engagement. The first session typically includes time to map current difficulties and set short-term goals before planning follow-up work.
How her approaches translate to online sessions
Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) focuses on identifying and naming strong emotions and the interaction patterns that keep people stuck. It can help when emotions are hard to name or when relationship patterns feel repetitive. Client-Centered Therapy centers on listening closely and following the client’s concerns, helping people clarify what matters to them and set personal goals. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at thoughts and behaviors and uses concrete strategies to reduce distress and change unhelpful patterns.Finding the right approach is part of the work. Laura will collaborate with each person to decide which combination of EFT, CBT, or client-centered methods suits their needs, goals, and preferences. She adjusts pacing and focus based on what’s working and what isn’t, so treatment remains a shared process.
Session logistics should be confirmed before booking, since the biography does not list specific formats. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, reduce travel time, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and let people attend from a location that suits them. Talk with the clinician about how to structure sessions so they fit your day and your goals.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
13+ years
Listed in
New Jersey
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she work with?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, mood disorders, addictions, trauma and related issues such as intimacy problems and anger.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
She emphasizes engagement, building insight, and motivation using emotion-focused and practical approaches to help clients notice patterns and try changes.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 13 years of experience, including work at a nonprofit community mental health center with adolescents and adults.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is an LCSW licensed in New Jersey and practices in New Jersey.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats does she offer?
Please confirm current session options before booking, as specific formats are not detailed in the biography.
How are fees handled?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What is the first step to begin working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.