- Person-centered planning
- CBT and mindfulness
- Focus on finances
About Laverne
Laverne Santangelo is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Michigan who helps people facing stress, anxiety, addiction, mood challenges, and money or financial issues. She brings a practical, down-to-earth style to sessions and focuses on the client’s goals and day-to-day concerns. She has ten years of counseling experience and a long history of helping roles that shape how she works.
She draws on life experience and years of service in the Army National Guard to inform her approach. That background includes work in inpatient addiction settings and community mental health, where she supported people with severe mental illness and substance use. She also created and led groups aimed at helping women through major life changes.
Her approach centers on person-centered planning. That means she listens first and builds a plan around each person’s strengths and aims. She also uses cognitive behavioral ideas to look at thoughts and behaviors, motivational interviewing to support change, and mindfulness and holistic practices to calm the body and mind.
She has supported people dealing with shame, grief, family-of-origin problems, caregiver stress, and issues tied to identity and multicultural concerns. She has personal experience with addiction in her family and knows what it can feel like to seek help and face stigma.
She offers life coaching alongside counseling to help clients set and reach practical goals. To get started people complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule sessions according to the available times.
How therapy approaches translate to online work
Client-centered work focuses on hearing your concerns and shaping the plan around your goals. Online sessions let the therapist listen and respond in the same person-focused way as in person, with an emphasis on practical steps you can try between meetings.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps identify unhelpful thoughts and change behaviors through clear exercises and small experiments. This approach suits worries, mood problems, and many stress-related issues because it gives concrete tools to practice outside sessions.
Mindfulness Therapy brings attention to the present moment through simple breathing and grounding techniques. It can help lower reactivity to stress, support sleep, and add calm when facing cravings or strong emotions.
Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will work with clients to choose methods that fit their needs, goals, and preferences, and will adjust plans as progress is tracked. Expect a conversation about what feels most useful rather than a one-size-fits-all prescription.
The biography does not specify which session formats are used online, so confirm available options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy day, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. Licensed professionals can still use the same CBT, mindfulness, and motivational interviewing techniques effectively through remote appointments.
Areas of focus
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does this therapist help with?
Areas of focus include stress, anxiety, addictions, depression, bipolar, ADHD, relationship and family issues, grief, eating and sleeping problems, and money and financial issues among others.
How would you describe the therapeutic style?
Sessions emphasize person-centered planning where the therapist listens first and builds goals with the client, using practical techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and mindfulness.
What is the clinician's background?
The therapist has ten years of counseling experience and a long history of helping roles, including inpatient addiction work, community mental health, group facilitation, and military service in the Army National Guard.
What credentials and location are listed?
The therapist is a Licensed Professional Counselor, LPC, based in Michigan.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English and international clients are accepted.
What session formats are available?
The original biography does not list specific session formats; please confirm current session options before booking.
How is cost handled for sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability, and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with this therapist?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.