Lara Ashbaugh, LPC

Lara Ashbaugh is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Missouri who uses practical, skills-based methods to help people manage stress, anxiety, depression, grief, and life transitions. She brings ten years of clinical experience to sessions and focuses on clear tools clients can try between meetings. Lara aims to make therapy feel respectful and down-to-earth for anyone seeking change.

Her work often blends Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). She helps people notice unhelpful thinking, practice new coping skills, and clarify values that guide choices. Sessions emphasize simple, actionable steps rather than abstract theory.

Lara draws on client-centered principles, creating a warm, interactive setting where people are treated with sensitivity and without labels. She also uses mindfulness techniques to help reduce reactivity and build awareness. When helpful, she brings in motivational interviewing strategies to support readiness for change.

She has supported people facing a wide range of concerns, including trauma and abuse, addictions, ADHD, bipolar mood issues, parenting stress, career challenges, and identity questions such as gender dysphoria. Additional focused areas include adoption and foster care, caregiver stress, body image, fertility-related distress, and communication problems.

Lara adapts plans to each person's goals and strengths. She encourages practicing skills between sessions and tracking small changes over time. Her style is collaborative and practical, aimed at helping people find manageable ways to feel steadier and more in control.

How CBT, ACT, and DBT translate to online therapy

CBT focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors. In practice this means tracking thoughts, trying small behavioral experiments, and using structured exercises to reduce symptoms like worry or low mood. ACT helps people clarify personal values and take committed steps toward them, even when discomfort remains. It uses acceptance exercises and values-based goal setting to guide behavior changes. DBT teaches concrete skills for managing intense emotions, improving relationships, and tolerating stress; it includes emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness techniques.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with someone about their goals and preferences, and suggest approaches that fit those needs. Plans are adjusted over time, mixing skill practice, values work, and mindfulness as appropriate to what the person hopes to achieve.

Online sessions offer flexible ways to work on these methods. Video calls allow in-depth conversations and guided exercises. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth or visual focus is a concern. Live chat and text messaging support brief check-ins, skill reminders, or ongoing coaching between full sessions. These options make it simpler to fit therapy into a busy life and to practice skills in real time.