Marta Laurette, LCSW-R

I am a clinical social work therapist with the experience in outpatient mental health counseling since 2013. I work with adults from different walks of life, and diverse backgrounds. These patients might struggle with various diagnoses such as depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and post-traumatic stress disorder, with grief and chronic pain, and with a history of trauma and oppression. They might face situational stress due to job, family and relationship issues or life-stage transitions.

I offer individual, couple, and group therapy, choosing methods from different theoretical orientations to meet the specific needs of my clients and to ensure that their treatment is effective. I use psychodynamic and cognitive behavioral therapies, and systems perspective. I incorporate dream work, meditation, and breathing and relaxation exercises into my sessions.
Each person is capable of healing and improving his/her/their life, but change is a unique process. My goal as a therapist is to support my clients in finding what they are looking for and to help them discover what works and what does not work for them. I aim to create a space that is safe and shielded from the outside noise, to help my clients examine what stands in their way of living a happy and fulfilled life, and to help them make the changes they desire.

Presently I am working on developing two groups: relational process group and anxiety management group.

The purpose of the relational process group is to help group members form meaningful and healthy relationships with family, loved ones and friends. The group provides both a safe and supportive environment and the context in which group members examine their feelings, thoughts and behaviors in connection to relationships. During the group sessions I assist my clients in using the relationships with other group members and myself to learn how to connect with others and to resolve their interpersonal difficulties that have often caused unhappiness and suffering in their relationships. Group members will gain improved awareness, which will allow for choices that in the past they might not have thought they had. This is an open group, which means it welcomes new group members based on availability.

The purpose of the anxiety management group is to help clients understand their anxiety and develop coping skills to manage it. This is a short-term group of 12-18 weeks consisting of three modules that focus on cognition, behavior and acceptance. During the group the clients will learn to understand their symptoms, and are introduced to evidence-based strategies to manage them. This group incorporates techniques of cognitive behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy, as well as meditation, relaxation and breathing exercises. Between the sessions the group members will practice the strategies that they have learned to find out what does and does not work for them. In addition, I will encourage the group members to practice the strategies in the group if and when they happen to experience their anxiety in the present moment.