Laura Pennelle, LCSW

Laura Pennelle is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) based in California who helps people manage stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, depression, and major life changes. She focuses on practical steps clients can use day to day and listens for what matters most to each person.

With 10 years of experience, she adapts conversations and plans to fit a client's situation. Sessions emphasize clear goals and skills that transfer outside the room. Laura uses tools from cognitive behavioral approaches to help shift unhelpful thoughts and routines.

She also draws on attachment-based ideas to explore how past relationships affect current patterns and feelings. Emotion-focused work and client-centered listening help people name emotions and find what feels true for them. For moments of intense distress she brings skills from dialectical behavior therapy to stabilize emotions and build tolerance.

Laura supports people facing issues like abandonment, caregiver stress, chronic illness and pain, communication problems, control struggles, and the fallout of separation or divorce. She also helps with forgiveness work, impulsivity, isolation, midlife questions, and financial stress that affects mood.

Sessions are offered in English and she accepts international clients. Therapy can include video, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging so people can choose what fits their schedule and needs.

How her approaches translate to online therapy

Laura often uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help people identify and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, which can reduce anxiety and low mood through concrete exercises and homework. Attachment-Based Therapy is used to look at how early relationship patterns influence current reactions and communication styles, useful for people troubled by trust, abandonment, or recurring conflicts.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with each person about their goals and preferences and try approaches that feel like a fit. Together they check what works and adjust methods over time so sessions stay relevant to everyday life.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video lets people work face to face from anywhere, phone offers a lower-bandwidth option, live chat can be a quick check-in, and text messaging supports ongoing reflections between meetings. Those options make scheduling easier and let people pick the format that fits their routine and comfort.