01 · Who Laurissa works with

Laurissa works with stress, Anxiety, relationship issues and family conflicts

Laurissa lists 10 specialisms and 5 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Laurissa chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Laurissa's own words

What Laurissa says about the work

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

Hello! My name is Laurissa Bustillos and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with experience working with children, adolescents, adults, and families. The decision to seek therapy is a courageous first step toward change, and I want to acknowledge the strength it takes to begin this journey. If you are struggling with anxiety, weighed down by persistent sadness, or navigating a difficult life transition, you don't have to carry that burden alone. I am here to provide a safe, non-judgmental space where you can be truly seen and heard. In our work together, I believe you are the expert on your own life. My role is to be your supportive guide, helping you connect with your inner wisdom and resilience. I approach therapy as a collaborative partnership, where we will explore what's not working, uncover your unique strengths, and develop practical strategies to help you move toward a more fulfilling life.

Laurissa Bustillos, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Laurissa works

The 5 approaches Laurissa lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Laurissa lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Laurissa'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 Laurissa 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.

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.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Laurissa 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 Laurissa'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 Laurissa at this point.

2. Naming Laurissa specifically

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

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 Laurissa

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

LMFT

Licensed in

New Mexico

Licence

NM LMFT CMF0208711

Licence number

CMF0208711

Licence expires

30 Sep 2027

NPI

1871007138

Years in practice

8

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Laurissa'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 Laurissa. 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.