01 · Who Dr. works with

Dr. works with stress, Anxiety, intimacy-related issues and self esteem

Dr. lists 16 specialisms and 32 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Dr. chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Dr.'s own words

What Dr. says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

I am a Doctor of Behavioral Health, a Licensed Professional Counselor, and a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist. I am licensed to practice in Texas and Colorado.

I have worked with clients suffering from stress and anxiety, trauma and abuse, depression, and those struggling to cope with life changes. I have experience working with severely mentally ill patients in a psychiatric emergency treatment center and a community behavioral health clinic. I have spent the majority of my time, however, in private practice. My clients range in age from 13 to 99!

I enjoy helping people from all walks of life. Many people come to me because they are suffering from anxiety. It seems like COVID really pushed a lot of people over the edge, especially those who were already struggling with relationships or mental health issues.

Panic attacks, depression, sleep disorders, and mood swings are common issues I see in clients. A lot of moms used to have a glass of wine at night and now many are admitting to needing a whole bottle! Many people tell me they feel fearful of things that are happening in the world and do not know how to cope with feeling out of control. Others tell me that they are struggling financially or dealing with health issues. I have had many teens tell me that they feel suicidal and hopeless. I have also seen an increase in those struggling with gender dysphoria and relationship issues. A lot of my older clients are sad about the world they will be leaving to their children. I understand and empathize with all of these situations!

From OCD to PTSD, there really isn't much that I haven't encountered as a therapist. Veterans, homeless, addicts, abusers, victims, parents, children, CEOs, athletes, cancer patients, EMS workers, young and old, rich and poor... you name it...I have worked with people from all walks of life. What I can say is that I bring the same level of compassionate care to everyone I encounter. There is no judgment. It is humbling to realize that for many people, I am the one person they feel safe confiding in, and I take that trust very seriously.

Regardless of the issues and their severity, I work closely with every client to help find solutions that make life more manageable and enjoyable. I believe that every person needs a toolbox that is full of ideas and strategies for coping with the stressors of life. As the saying goes, if all you have is a hammer, then everything will look like a nail. There are plenty of other tools out there, and when you own them, it is so empowering! Soon, you will be building and creating the life that you want for yourself! You are unique, valuable, and worthy of healthy relationships, happiness, and love.

I believe that you are the expert of your life and that you have many strengths that will assist you in overcoming things that challenge you. It takes courage to seek out a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards a change. I am here to support and empower you in that journey!

Dr. Lara Neely, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Dr. works

The 9 approaches Dr. lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Dr. lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Dr.'s - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Dr. runs a session.

Acceptance and Commitment TherapyACT

Rather than trying to argue a painful thought away, ACT works on loosening its grip and getting on with what matters to you anyway. Sessions spend real time naming your values, then building action around them while difficult feelings are still present.

Client-Centred TherapyPerson-centred · Rogerian

The therapist does not steer toward a technique or a diagnosis. They offer sustained, non-judgemental attention and reflect back what they hear, on the premise that people find their own direction when they are genuinely listened to. Often what people mean by “someone who just gets it”.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

Dialectical Behaviour TherapyDBT

A structured skills-led adaptation of CBT built around holding two things at once: accepting yourself as you are and working to change. Teaches concrete skills for distress tolerance, emotion regulation and relationships. Developed for people whose feelings arrive at overwhelming intensity, and strongest-evidenced there.

Mindfulness-Based TherapyMBCT

Trains attention on what is happening right now - body, breath, the thought as it arrives - so distress can be observed rather than automatically acted on. Strongest evidence is in preventing depression from recurring, and it is usually taught as a practice you keep doing outside the session.

Motivational InterviewingMI

A way of talking about change with somebody who is genuinely in two minds about it. The therapist does not argue for the change; they help you say your own reasons out loud, which is the part that predicts whether it happens. Common around substance use and health behaviour.

Solution-Focused Brief TherapySFBT

Starts from where you want to end up rather than from how you got here. Sessions look for the times the problem is already smaller and work out what is different about those, so the number of sessions tends to be short and the work concrete.

Trauma-Focused TherapyTF-CBT · trauma-informed

CBT adapted for people whose difficulty is rooted in a frightening or overwhelming event. Pacing is the point: safety and stabilisation come first, the memory itself is approached gradually and only when you are ready, and the aim is that recalling it stops hijacking the present.

Internal Family SystemsIFS

Treats the mind as made up of parts - the critic, the one who withdraws, the one that keeps everything running - each of which is trying to protect you. The work is getting to know them rather than overruling them.

Also listed

• Hypnotherapy
• Jungian Therapy
• Somatic Therapy

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Dr. practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Dr.'s own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Dr. at this point.

2. Naming Dr. specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Dr. is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Dr..

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

3 questions worth asking Dr.

Built from what Dr. actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Dr.'s - Dr. has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Client-Centred Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LPC

Licensed in

Texas

Licence

TX LPC 84996, CO LPC LPC.0019268

Licence number

84996

Licence expires

30 Sep 2028

NPI

1619543600

Years in practice

4

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Dr.'s name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 9 Oct 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Dr.. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

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