Laura White , LCSW-R

Laura White is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with four decades of experience providing mental health care in New York. She holds the LCSW-R credential (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) and brings a long history in social work that began in 1980 while working as a research assistant at Suffolk County Jail. That early experience helped shape a lifelong commitment to supporting people through difficult life challenges.

Her academic background includes a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a Master of Social Work, and additional graduate-level coursework in gerontology. She is also certified in EMDR - Level One, achieved in 2001. Clinically, she integrates a person-centered stance with family systems thinking, the Socratic method, motivational interviewing, and cognitive behavioral techniques to tailor care to each person’s needs.

Laura works with people across the lifespan and respects diverse ages, religions, cultural backgrounds, and LGBTQ identities. She treats a wide range of concerns including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD, addictions, eating disorders, social anxiety, relationship and family difficulties, abuse-related trauma, chronic pain and medical disability issues, ADHD, cancer-related stress, caregiver strain, and end-of-life matters. Personal experience with loss and caregiving has informed her understanding of grief and caregiver stress.

Her approach is supportive and goal-oriented, with an emphasis on identifying strengths and building self-esteem. When additional services are needed she researches and recommends appropriate referrals for medication management, rehabilitation, or other resources. She has historically offered evening and weekend availability and has maintained a varied career in social work for 40 years.

Approaches that guide online care

Laura White draws on proven therapeutic methods to support clients in an online setting. Client-centered therapy emphasizes empathy and collaboration - the therapist follows the client's lead to build trust and identify personal strengths, which is useful for many life transitions and self-esteem work. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors - it is practical for anxiety, depression, and stress management. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a trauma-focused technique that can help people process distressing memories and reduce the intensity of trauma symptoms.

Deciding which approach fits best is part of the therapeutic process. Laura works collaboratively with each person to assess needs, goals, and preferences, and will adapt techniques over time to find the best match for recovery and growth.

Online therapy with video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging offers flexibility for busy schedules and for people who live far from specialty services. These options make it easier to maintain regular appointments, continue care during life changes, and access licensed professionals from different locations while working toward concrete therapeutic goals.