Brenda Lauer

Brenda Lauer is a Licensed Professional Counselor with 15 years of clinical experience in private practice. She splits her time across part-time hours and typically works afternoons on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday in the Eastern Time zone. Brenda combines a warm, gentle manner with practical focus to help people facing strong emotional challenges.

She has worked with clients from many walks of life, including military and first responder backgrounds, and with a range of diagnoses such as post-traumatic stress, anxiety, depression, and attention concerns. Her day-to-day work is direct and down-to-earth. She listens first, then helps people choose steps that fit their life.

Brenda describes her style as respectful, compassionate, and empathetic. She starts by seeing the situation from the client's point of view, then helps expand options so people can respond differently. She avoids one-size-fits-all plans and tailors methods to each person's needs.

Her toolkit includes cognitive behavioral techniques, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy elements, emotionally focused ideas, solution-focused moves, and client-centered principles. She also works as a hypnosis coach, using that skill when it fits a person's goals.

People often come to Brenda for help with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, anger, and depression. She also addresses related concerns such as attachment issues, caregiver stress, chronic illness, body image, and communication problems. Brenda invites prospective clients to consider therapy as a practical step toward change.

She asks people to complete a brief matching questionnaire to begin and to schedule sessions according to her posted times. International clients may be accommodated and sessions are conducted in English.

How her approaches translate to online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on clarifying what matters to someone and taking small actions toward those values while learning to live with difficult feelings. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps identify unhelpful thoughts and habits and then practices concrete changes in thinking and behavior that reduce distress. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes being heard and respected first, with the therapist following the client's lead and helping them find their own solutions.

Choosing the right approach is often part of the first sessions. Brenda will work together with each person to decide which methods feel most useful based on goals, preferences, and what’s happening in daily life. The work is collaborative rather than one-size-fits-all.

The practical benefits of online therapy include easier fit into a busy routine and the ability to keep appointments when travel or scheduling is hard. Some formats may be better for short check-ins or when video bandwidth is limited. Confirm available session formats before booking so arrangements match personal needs and daily schedules.