Supporting young people with gender distress and those who love them.
Affirming & exploratory psychological care, available in almost every state.
Gender has become a hard thing to talk about.
By the time a family reaches me, they often feel confused, frustrated, and desperate for answers. Many times, they feel they have nowhere else to turn. Parents tell me they have no one with whom they can share their real worries. Young people tell me the same thing, for different reasons.
My job isn't to encourage one identity or another, or to dictate a direction. It's to understand each individual young person, and to give families enough room and information to make their own decisions.
My Approach
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Affirming & Exploratory
Gender identity is complex. I take each client at their word about who they are, and I don't rush them toward a conclusion in any direction. I encourage thoughtful, supportive exploration—what’s at the root of meaningful therapy.
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Developmentally Informed
Children and adolescents are not adults. I trust the growing body of research on child and adolescent development and aim to bring that context into my work. These are turbulent years that require a thoughtful and nuanced approach.
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Comprehensive
It takes time to assemble all the pieces into a picture of the whole person. Everyone is unique and I do not cut corners. I consider it my responsibility to identify all the elements that may be factoring into a young person's experience.
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Collaborative
Through our work together, I will provide as much information, research, and clinical understanding as I can. I will help us establish shared language. Ultimately, though, it's up to each family to decide how to move forward.
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Inclusive
I believe parents have an important perspective that needs to be incorporated. The most grounded decisions emerge once family tension has been reduced and everyone is able to have a seat at the table. Young people do best when the parent-child relationship is strong.
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Evidence-Informed
My work is informed by the evolving body of research in this area. I thoughtfully and critically engage with new evidence as it emerges, and I remain open to refining my approach as the science becomes clearer.
I’m Laura.
I've been doing this work for more than twenty years, long before there was any real public debate around it. It has always felt like an honor to sit with someone at a confusing point in their life and help them make sense of it.
I was the lead psychologist at Boston Children’s Hospital when it opened the first pediatric gender program in the United States, and I helped refine the protocols that are still widely used today. After 9 years teaching at Pacific University's graduate psychology program, I now see young people and families full time. I'm a mother of two, which is probably why I've never been able to treat the inclusion of parents as simply a formality.
In all these years, what’s become clear is that no two young people arrive with the same story—and that the best decisions get made when no one is in a hurry.
Therapy
Virtual therapy for children, adolescents and adults. Space to process gender-related concerns as well as anything else that may be playing a role in mental health—from anxiety, depression and neurodivergence to body image and relationships.
Evaluation
A comprehensive assessment for young people weighing gender-related decisions, separate from therapy. In-depth interviews with the young person and their parents, psychological and gender measures, and a detailed report offering recommendations to consider—not a yes or no.
Parent / Client Consultation
One-off conversations with parents and/or prospective clients to establish context, answer questions, and determine fit. Usually available within two weeks and can be scheduled regardless of location.
Professional
Consultation
One-on-one consultation for clinicians working with gender-distressed young people, whether about a specific case or about approach and assessment more broadly. Available wherever you practice.
Clinical
Training
Group workshops for health care professionals working with gender-related issues. These are shaped around what your organization needs and can be facilitated in person or virtually.