Laura Schmidt, LCSW-C

Laura Schmidt is a licensed clinical social worker in Maryland with 25 years of experience. She works with adults facing stress, anxiety, depression, relationship strain, trauma and life changes. Her practice also pays attention to life purpose when people are reassessing what matters next.

She helps people name the patterns that keep them stuck. Laura uses cognitive-behavioral ideas to spot unhelpful thoughts and try new responses. She also draws on trauma-informed thinking to recognize how past events affect current reactions.

Somatic methods are part of her work when bodily signals and stress responses matter. That can include simple attention to breath, posture, and body sensations to support emotional regulation. These techniques are offered alongside talk-based approaches rather than as a separate replacement.

Her approach is collaborative and practical. Sessions focus on clear goals, skills you can use between meetings, and understanding how relationships and family systems shape choices. She pays attention to communication patterns, attachment concerns, and decisions that follow separation or loss.

Laura has spent much of her career supporting people through major transitions such as divorce, caregiving strain, or career shifts. She also helps with issues like body image, isolation, and impulsivity. People who feel directionless after a life change may find her style grounded and problem-focused.

To begin, she asks people to identify current problems and what they want to change. From there she collaborates on small, concrete steps and ways to measure progress over time.

Evidence-based approaches and online care