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LCSW

Michelle Laughlin, LCSW

  • Experience4 years
  • LocationCalifornia
  • Focus areasADHD, Stress and Anxiety, and Trauma and abuse
  • Therapy approachesAttachment-Based Therapy and Client-Centered Therapy
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About Michelle

Michelle Laughlin is a California-licensed LCSW who supports people navigating stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, self-esteem challenges, coping with life changes, and attention or focus difficulties including ADHD.

Background and approach

With four years of clinical practice, she centers respectful, sensitive, and compassionate care while tailoring conversations and treatment plans to each person's unique needs. She emphasizes practical skills to improve concentration, memory, motivation, and confidence, alongside emotional work to address trauma, attachment concerns, and patterns that interfere with daily functioning.

Her approach blends collaborative goal-setting with evidence-based techniques drawn from attachment-informed therapy, cognitive and dialectical strategies, and solution-focused methods. Michelle aims to help clients build coping tools, clarify priorities, and strengthen adaptive responses to stressors while honoring each person's pace and preferences.

She encourages the courage it takes to seek change and offers steady support throughout the process.

Integrating evidence-based approaches in online care

Michelle draws on attachment-based therapy to explore how early and current relationships shape expectations and emotional responses, helping clients build more supported ways of relating and managing stress. She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to identify unhelpful thoughts and develop practical strategies for changing behaviors, which can be useful for anxiety, focus difficulties, and coping with life changes. Additionally, solution-focused techniques are employed to set clear, achievable goals and emphasize strengths and immediate steps toward improvement.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the therapeutic process, and Michelle works collaboratively with each person to determine which methods best match their needs, goals, and preferences. Treatment plans are adjusted over time based on what is working and what needs refinement, keeping the client's priorities central to the work.

Online sessions via video, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging offer flexibility for people juggling busy schedules or limited local options. These formats allow regular contact, timely check-ins, and ongoing skill practice in everyday contexts, helping clients maintain progress while fitting therapy into their lives.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does Michelle commonly address?
She works with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, self-esteem struggles, coping with life changes, and ADHD-related focus challenges, along with related issues such as attachment and communication problems.
How would she describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is respectful, sensitive, and compassionate, with an emphasis on tailoring dialogue and treatment plans to each client's specific needs and goals.
What is her clinical experience?
She holds four years of professional work experience supporting people with concentration, memory, motivation, and emotional concerns in therapeutic settings.
What credentials and location are listed for this therapist?
She is licensed as an LCSW in California with licence number CA LCSW 120910 and practices from California.
Does she offer services in other languages or to international clients?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not currently accepting international clients.
Which session formats does she provide?
Available session formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different preferences.
How is pricing handled for sessions?
Costs vary with location and therapist availability and sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the first steps to begin working together?
To get started, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyTrauma and abuseSelf esteemCoping with life changesADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAttachment issuesAvoidant personalityBlended family issuesCo-morbidityCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personalityDissociationDomestic violenceEmptinessFatherhood issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameImpulsivityInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMood disordersPost-traumatic stressPrejudice and discriminationSelf-harmSelf-loveWorkplace issues

Therapeutic approaches

Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Solution-Focused TherapySomatic TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems

Experience

4+ years

Licensed

California

Languages

English

What Michelle can help with

Michelle Laughlin works with clients on stress and anxiety, trauma and abuse, self esteem, coping with life changes, and ADHD.

Michelle works with clients with stress, anxiety, trauma, and abuse.

How Michelle approaches therapy

Michelle's clinical approaches include Attachment-Based Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Solution-Focused Therapy, Somatic Therapy, Trauma-Focused Therapy, and Internal Family Systems.

Experience and training

Michelle is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker practicing in California, with 4 years of clinical experience.

Therapy style

Michelle aims to support you in that process.