Dr. Laura Riness, LPCC

Dr. Laura Riness helps people who are feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, depression, and major life changes. She also supports those coping with grief, parenting strain, sleep problems, anger, and intimacy or relationship concerns. Her approach aims to make hard conversations easier and more useful for daily life.

She uses practical, evidence-informed methods like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Attachment-Based techniques to identify unhelpful thinking and improve emotional connection. Sessions are conversational and goal-focused. Clients work together with her to try out small changes between meetings.

Dr. Riness is a licensed professional clinical counselor - LPCC - in Minnesota and brings seven years of experience in community and clinical settings. She focuses on clear steps people can take now, rather than abstract theory. The work often includes skill-building for coping, communication, and managing mood.

People who have experienced adoption or foster care concerns, blended family stress, divorce, or postpartum depression may find her approach relevant. She also addresses multicultural issues, prejudice and discrimination, and aging-related concerns when they affect mood or relationships.

Sessions are offered in English and include options like video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Starting is a simple process of completing a short matching questionnaire and scheduling a first appointment.

How therapy approaches translate to online care

Dr. Riness uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors that worsen anxiety or low mood. CBT often includes straightforward exercises and behavioral experiments that can be practiced between sessions. Attachment-Based Therapy is also part of her toolkit and focuses on improving how people connect and feel safe with others, which can help with relationship and intimacy concerns.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. She will collaborate with clients to choose methods that match their goals, needs, and preferences, and may combine techniques over time as those goals evolve. The plan is adjusted together rather than fixed up front.

Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, offering flexibility for different routines. Video is useful for face-to-face conversation and visual cues, phone sessions can be easier on slower internet or when hands-free time is needed, and messaging formats work well for brief check-ins or when someone prefers written communication. These options make it easier to fit sessions into busy schedules and to keep steady work on goals from wherever a person is located.