Laura Hastings, LMFT

Laura Hastings is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) in California with 24 years of experience. She focuses on relationship concerns, boosting self-esteem, career challenges, and coping with life changes. She aims to support and empower people taking steps toward a more satisfying life.

She approaches therapy by treating each person as the expert on their own story. Sessions draw on a person’s existing strengths and practical strategies. Laura encourages small, achievable changes that build confidence and forward motion.

Laura uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which looks at thoughts, feelings, and behaviors together. She helps people notice unhelpful thinking patterns and practice different responses that lead to better outcomes. That approach often fits well for stress, motivation blocks, and managing difficult transitions.

Over her career she has also worked with caregiver stress, aging and geriatric concerns, workplace issues, women’s issues, communication problems, and compassion fatigue. She brings that breadth of experience into each conversation to tailor support to the situation at hand.

Her style is collaborative and straightforward. She listens for what matters most and then helps plan concrete next steps. People who want practical tools and a supportive partner during change may find her approach useful.

How CBT and online sessions can support change

Laura uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help people notice how thoughts influence feelings and actions. CBT focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking patterns, testing them, and practicing new behaviors that reduce stress and improve motivation. This approach is practical and often helps with relationship patterns, career blocks, low self-esteem, and adjusting to life changes.

Finding the right approach is a team effort. The therapist will work with the client to pick methods that match their goals and preferences. That collaborative process includes trying strategies, checking what helps, and adjusting the plan over time so it fits the person’s needs.

If you are considering online work, confirm the current session options before booking. Many people find online therapy easier to fit into busy schedules, since it can reduce travel time and make it simpler to keep regular appointments. Online formats can also make shorter check-ins or repeat practice easier to arrange. Ask about available session types when you schedule so you can choose what fits your life.