Therapist Laura Neal-McCollum Photo

Laura Neal-McCollum

Trauma, Abuse Grief Depression Coping with life changes ADHD
Video Phone Live Chat Messaging

About me

Deciding to get another point of view is a big deal. Your situation may involve your goals, your hopes, your relationships, or just a growing feeling that things could be better for you. You may be longing for big changes, or reacting to ones that have already happened. You may be adjusting to new roles—in your career, in partnering, becoming a parent, launching your children, or adapting to changed life circumstances. Others may regard these as ordinary life stages, but right now they don’t seem that way to you. Even successes can be challenging!
Either way, it often pays to have a place to think, talk and try things out. At best, that would involve someone with life experience, someone who listens and hears you as you move through this stage of your life. Someone who won’t jump to conclusions, or offer unsolicited advice that fits somebody else’s value system, but not yours. Someone who can see the upside when all you can see is the downside, but who doesn’t engage in chirpy reassurances or automatic diagnostics.
I have worked with people in all phases of life, from young adulthood to elders. I’ve had the opportunity to learn from work with refugees, mixed-race people, or who identify as LGBTQI, pregnant and parenting adults, and incarcerated persons as well as people in the final phase of life.
Feedback from my previous clients is that they experience me as “accepting”, “warm,” and “not easily shocked”. Frequently they comment on the occurrence of humor and fresh thinking in our work together. They appreciate that our work takes their belief systems into account. They often observe that they have made changes they would not have thought possible.

I’m a clinical social worker with all the training credentials, which I’ll share according to your interest. But more significantly, I have many years of experience accompanying folks traveling their varied life paths. Along the way I have learned from their challenges and successes as well as from my own. This gives me a store of strategies to share with you as you develop your own next steps. Together, we will identify the strengths you already have, to build on as you move forward. Those steps may include trying out additional ways of thinking and doing, to maximize your effect on whatever circumstances you may be facing. The intent would be for you NOT to be “totally changed” but to become MORE of your real self.

I am comfortable with email or video formats in counseling: your comfort and energy levels can determine that. Whether you are interested in brief work to address a specific matter, or a broader exploration of your life possibilities, I’m available to provide that listening ear along with a caring heart and respect for your unique journey.

Professional experience

44yrs in practice
Trauma, Abuse Grief Depression Coping with life changes ADHD

Additional areas of focus: Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Relationship issues, Family conflicts, Intimacy-related issues, Parenting issues, Self esteem, Bipolar disorder, Compassion fatigue

Services offered

Video
Phone
Live Chat
Messaging