About Laura
Laura Marcum is a licensed clinical social worker practicing in Illinois with more than 15 years of experience. She helps people who are feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, or life changes. Her approach is respectful and compassionate, aimed at making therapy feel manageable and practical from the start.
She focuses on common concerns like motivation, depression, grief, and compassion fatigue. She also works with issues around addiction, intimacy, eating, ADHD, and relationship or family conflict.
Background and approach
Sessions are shaped around each person’s needs rather than a one-size-fits-all plan. In sessions she listens first, then helps you set clear, achievable goals. Conversations are tailored to what matters to the individual, with steps to try between meetings.
The style is straightforward and supportive, with an emphasis on small changes that add up. Laura uses a collaborative process to decide which strategies will help most. She pays attention to what a person can realistically do amid work, parenting, or other responsibilities.
The goal is to build skills people can use outside of therapy. Clients who prefer flexible formats can meet by video, phone, live chat, or text messaging. Laura will work with each person to pick the best way to connect and to move toward clearer goals and better daily functioning.
How therapeutic approaches translate to online work
Therapy often uses evidence-based techniques focused on changing thoughts and building coping skills. Cognitive-style techniques involve identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and practicing different responses to reduce anxiety and low mood. Behavioral approaches focus on small, doable actions such as activity scheduling or graded exposure to tackle avoidance and build confidence.Finding the right approach is a joint process. The therapist will discuss goals, past experiences, and preferences and then recommend strategies to try. That plan can change as progress is made, so clients help shape what is most useful for them.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, which offer flexibility for busy lives. Video sessions allow face-to-face conversation when a deeper discussion is needed. Phone sessions work well if internet bandwidth is limited or when people prefer not to be on camera. Live chat and text-based messaging make it possible to check in between appointments, do shorter check-ins, or fit therapy into a tight schedule.
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she commonly address?
What is her general therapeutic style?
How much experience does she have working in the field?
What credentials and location are listed?
Which languages are supported and can international clients join?
What session formats are available?
How are costs handled for sessions?
What are the steps to begin working together?
Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
Also works with
- Addictions
- ADHD
- Anger management
- Career difficulties
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- LGBT
- Parenting issues
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
- Experience
- 15 years
- Licensed
- Illinois
- Languages
- English