Laura P Kessler, LCSW

About

Clinical Social Work/Therapist in Phoenix, AZ. Works with Trauma and PTSD, Relationship Issues and Grief. Sees clients online only. Takes Aetna, Cigna, United Healthcare and other plans. Accepting new clients.

Areas of expertise

• Trauma and PTSD
• Relationship Issues
• Grief
• Anger Management
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Life Transitions
• Peer Relationships
• Self Esteem
• Stress Management

Types of therapy

• Acceptance and Commitment (ACT)Helps people make room for difficult thoughts and feelings instead of fighting them, and commit to actions that fit what matters to them.
• Attachment-basedLooks at early bonds with caregivers and how they shape relationships and emotions now, and works toward a greater sense of safety and connection.
• Compassion FocusedHelps people who are hard on themselves to build warmth and compassion toward themselves, as a counterweight to shame and self-criticism.
• Dialectical Behavior (DBT)A skills-based therapy grown out of CBT. Teaches ways to manage intense emotions, get through crises, stay present and handle relationships.
• Emotionally FocusedTreats emotions as a guide to change. Often used with couples, to understand patterns of conflict and rebuild a secure bond.
• ExistentialExplores life's big questions, such as meaning, freedom, choice, loneliness and death, and how they connect to a person's struggles.
• Internal Family Systems (IFS)Sees the mind as made of different 'parts', and helps people understand and care for them from a calm, compassionate core 'Self'.
• Person-CenteredA warm, non-directive approach: the therapist listens with empathy and without judgment, and trusts the person to find their own direction.
• PsychoanalyticThe tradition that began with Freud. Explores unconscious thoughts and feelings, often through free association, sometimes with several sessions a week.
• SomaticBody-focused therapy that pays attention to physical sensations, posture and breathing, on the view that stress and trauma are held in the body as well as the mind.
• Trauma FocusedTherapy for people affected by trauma. Puts safety and pacing first, and helps process painful memories so they have less hold on daily life.

More details

Sessions

Online only

Accepting new clients

Yes

Specialties

Trauma and PTSD, Relationship Issues, Grief, ADHD, Anger Management, Anxiety, Behavioral Issues, Caregivers, Chronic Pain, Codependency, Depression, First Responders, Life Transitions, Mood Disorders, Peer Relationships, Personality Disorders, Self Esteem, Self-Harming, Sexual Abuse, Sleep or Insomnia, Spirituality, Stress, Suicidal Ideation, Veterans

Insurance

Aetna, Cigna and Evernorth, ComPsych, Optum, UnitedHealthcare UHC | UBH, Out of Network

Payment methods

American Express, Discover, Health Savings Account, Mastercard, Visa

Ages

Adults

Works with

Individuals

Languages

English

Gender

Female

Education

Arizona State University

Years in practice

14

Other offices

Surprise, 85387

Education & qualifications