About Laura
Laura Melendez is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who helps adults facing stress, anxiety, depression, and the fallout from trauma and abuse. She focuses on practical steps that rebuild self-trust, set clearer boundaries, and improve close relationships. Sessions are offered in English and Spanish and are available through video, phone, live chat, or text messaging.
With ten years of experience, Laura draws on evidence-based therapeutic techniques to guide people through major life changes and recovery from domestic violence, coercive control, and sexual assault.
Background and approach
She pays attention to how family history, culture, and immigration challenges affect emotional health. The goal is steady progress rather than quick fixes. Her style is collaborative and trauma-informed.
Laura helps clients name the stories they carry, notice patterns such as codependency or communication problems, and practice different ways of relating. She supports work on attachment issues, guilt and shame, somatization, and post-traumatic stress in straightforward, manageable steps. Sessions are tailored to each person’s needs and paced to match where they are emotionally.
Laura helps people weigh options, try new coping strategies, and strengthen day-to-day skills for handling stress and isolation. Progress often begins with small changes that build confidence over time. Laura holds a New Jersey LCSW license (NJ LCSW 44SC06000300).
People interested in starting complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule sessions based on therapist availability through the Start Therapy button.
Therapeutic techniques and flexible online care
Laura uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques that help people process painful experiences and strengthen day-to-day coping. One approach focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors to reduce anxiety and depression; this helps when worry, avoidance, or low mood get in the way of daily life. Another approach centers on telling and reframing personal stories to make sense of past events and support recovery after trauma or loss; this can reduce shame and clarify values.Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist collaborates with each person to choose methods that match their goals, strengths, and preferences. Sessions begin with practical goals and adjust over time so treatment fits the client’s pace and life circumstances.
Online therapy offers several practical benefits for people juggling busy lives or limited transportation. Video calls let people meet face-to-face when that’s helpful, phone sessions can be easier when less bandwidth is available, and live chat or text messaging provide brief check-ins or a way to reflect between sessions. These options make it easier to keep therapy consistent while fitting sessions into work, childcare, or other daily demands.
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
Also works with
- Attachment issues
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Domestic violence
- Family of origin issues
- Guilt and shame
- Immigration issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Multicultural concerns
- Post-traumatic stress
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexuality
- Somatization
- Women's issues
- Young adult issues
- Experience
- 10 years
- Licensed
- New Jersey
- Languages
- English, Spanish