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LMFT

Laurie Jo McDonnell, LMFT

  • Experience25 years
  • LocationFlorida
  • Focus areasStress and Anxiety, Relationship, and Family
  • Therapy approachesInternal Family Systems and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
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About Laurie

Laurie Jo McDonnell is a Florida-licensed marriage and family therapist with 25 years of clinical experience who works with people facing stress, anxiety, relationship strains, family conflict, grief, and depression.

Background and approach

She centers the client’s perspective, honoring each person as the expert of their own life while helping them draw on existing strengths to navigate difficult changes and losses. Laurie encourages clients to recognize small steps as meaningful progress and treats starting therapy as an act of courage.

Her practice integrates a blend of relational and evidence-informed approaches to address emotion, behavior, and communication patterns. Laurie uses tools from Internal Family Systems to explore inner parts and narratives, along with cognitive and experiential methods that support problem solving and new ways of relating.

With a collaborative, respectful stance, she offers practical strategies for coping while also attending to deeper emotional healing across a range of life challenges.

How Laurie’s Methods Translate to Online Therapy

Laurie uses Internal Family Systems to help clients explore different inner parts and the relationships among those parts, which can illuminate patterns in self-criticism, grief, or relationship reactions. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is another common strand in her work and focuses on clarifying values, increasing psychological flexibility, and developing actions that align with what matters most. Client-Centered Therapy underpins her overall stance by emphasizing empathy, active listening, and respect for the client’s own expertise about their life.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Laurie works with each person to identify the methods that best match their goals and preferences, adapting techniques over time as needs change. This joint exploration helps clients feel involved in planning treatment rather than following a fixed script.

Online formats including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging make it easier to fit therapy into busy lives and to continue care from home or another convenient location. These options support flexibility in scheduling and allow Laurie to deliver relational and skills-based work using methods that translate well to remote sessions.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does Laurie commonly address?
Laurie works with stress, anxiety, relationship and family problems, grief, and depression, as well as related issues such as abandonment, caregiver stress, chronic illness, and communication difficulties.
What is her therapeutic style like?
She takes a collaborative, client-centered approach that blends relational listening with practical interventions to help clients shift patterns and build coping skills.
How long has she been practicing?
She brings 25 years of professional experience to her work with individuals and families.
What are her credentials and where is she licensed?
She is an LMFT licensed in Florida with license number FL LMFT MT2063.
Does she provide services in other languages or to international clients?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not currently accepting international clients.
Which session formats are available?
Laurie offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different preferences and needs.
How are fees and subscriptions handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What steps are needed to begin therapy?
To start, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesFamily conflictsGriefDepression

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesAvoidant personalityBlended family issuesCancerCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCodependencyCommunication problemsDependent personalityDivorce and separationEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsForgivenessGuilt and shameHospice and end-of-life counselingInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMidlife crisisMood disordersObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksPostpartum depressionSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Social anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Gottman MethodNarrative TherapyInternal Family SystemsSystemic Therapy

Experience

25+ years

Licensed

Florida

Languages

English