01 · Who Laura works with

Laura works with stress, Anxiety, addictions and trauma and abuse

Laura lists 11 specialisms and 17 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Laura chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Laura's own words

What Laura says about the work

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

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC) in the state of New Jersey. I have over nine years of experience working with substance use, mental health, and dual-diagnosis/co-occurring populations. I have worked in community agencies as well as hospital-based programs, and I have experience in several levels of care such as inpatient, outpatient, Intensive Outpatient (IOP), Partial Hospitalization (PHP/APH), and Medication Assisted Treatment (Methadone, Vivitrol, Suboxone). I also have experience working with trauma in addition to severe and persistent mental illness (Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia/Schizoaffective Disorder, Personality Disorders) and coordinating crisis intervention with this population.

My counseling style is warm, non-judgmental, and person-centered. I believe you are the expert on you, and as your counselor I am here to assist you in achieving the goals you wish to accomplish in therapy. Together we will collaborate to form a treatment plan, measurable and achievable goals, assessing your progress and adjusting accordingly as necessary.

One of the most significant reasons I entered this profession, is that I am a firm believe that "a little compassion goes a long way". It only takes one person to help you see the light when you feel trapped in the darkness. I also believe in the importance of empowerment in order to rebuild self esteem, self worth, and self efficacy - and I am looking forward to working with you!

Laura Duffy, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Laura works

The 5 approaches Laura lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Laura lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Laura'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 Laura runs a session.

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.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Laura 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 Laura'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 Laura at this point.

2. Naming Laura specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Laura 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 Laura.

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 Laura

Built from what Laura actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Laura's - Laura 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

New Jersey

Licence

NJ LPC 37PC00700100

Licence number

37PC00700100

Licence expires

30 Nov 2026

NPI

1689260101

Years in practice

10

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

9 Jun 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Laura'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 Laura. 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.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.