Betty Laird, LCSW

Betty Laird is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) in Indiana with four decades of experience. She focuses on making therapy understandable and practical. Betty aims to offer a calm place where people can talk about pain, stress, and life changes without judgment.

She believes people are resilient but can feel overwhelmed by loss, trauma, or ongoing worry. In sessions she helps clients name problems, sort through feelings, and try new ways of coping. Her work often addresses anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, compassion fatigue, and mood concerns.

Betty draws on several approaches to fit each person’s needs. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is used to spot unhelpful thoughts and test new behaviors. Attachment-based ideas guide work around closeness, trust, and patterns in relationships. Client-centered methods keep the conversation focused on each person’s experience and goals.

She also brings attention to life events like adoption and foster care, caregiving strain, chronic illness, body image, and career stress. Betty mentions using cinematherapy sometimes to look at feelings and conflicts through film scenes and storylines.

Sessions aim to be collaborative and straightforward. Betty helps people set small, practical steps between meetings and checks in about what is working. Her style is calm, direct, and steady, intended to help people regain footing during difficult times.

Practical approaches for online therapy and healing

Betty uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviors that reduce anxiety or low mood. CBT focuses on small experiments and practical tools that can change daily habits and reactions.

She also draws from Attachment-Based Therapy, which looks at patterns of closeness and trust in relationships. This approach can help when worry or conflict arises from how people connect with others. Client-Centered Therapy is another influence, keeping sessions focused on each person's experience while the therapist listens and reflects rather than directing the process.

Choosing the right approach happens together. Betty will discuss what feels most useful and adjust methods to match goals and preferences. The plan can change as progress is made and new issues come up.

Online sessions are offered by video, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules and needs. Video calls let people read facial cues and have deeper conversations. Phone sessions can be helpful when video is not possible or when bandwidth is low. Live chat and messaging work for brief check-ins, mood tracking, or when a shorter, written exchange fits better. These options make it easier to keep therapy consistent during busy or changing routines.