Laurie Stricker, LMSW

Laurie Stricker is a licensed master's level social worker who helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression, and trauma. She draws on many years of practical experience to guide straightforward conversations and problem-solving. Parents and individuals often seek her out for help with sleep problems, addiction concerns, grief, and relationship or family struggles.

Laurie earned a Master of Social Work in 1998 while working full time and volunteering at a domestic violence shelter. Early work in foster care shaped her understanding of child welfare, family dynamics, and the legal system. Returning to her hometown, she served as an infant mental health specialist and gained skills in trauma-informed care and working in people’s homes.

Later roles included behavioral health work at a local hospital where she provided individual psychotherapy across ages and supported in-patient units for substance use and mental illness. She also worked at the VA, which broadened her experience with complex medical and service-related issues. Those years added depth to her clinical judgment and crisis work.

Over 27 years Laurie has become comfortable using multiple approaches to match a person’s needs. She often uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people change unhelpful thinking and behaviors. She also draws on client-centered methods and motivational interviewing to support readiness for change.

Her style is practical and person-focused. Sessions typically involve setting clear goals, trying specific strategies between sessions, and checking progress. Laurie works from Michigan and offers services in English, including options for remote appointments.

How Laurie’s approaches translate to online care

Laurie often uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people spot and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors; this method is practical and works well for anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and addiction-related habits. She also relies on client-centered therapy, which prioritizes listening and shaping the work around each person’s goals and pace, useful for grief, relationship struggles, and life transitions. Motivational interviewing is used when people want help building readiness and confidence to make changes, such as reducing substance use or improving self-care.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Laurie collaborates with each person to choose methods that match their goals and preferences, and she adjusts strategies as progress is made. That means sessions can shift from skills practice to more open listening, depending on what helps most.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to increase flexibility. Video is helpful for deeper conversational work and skills demonstrations. Phone sessions can fit into a quick break or require less bandwidth. Live chat and text messaging are useful for shorter check-ins, journaling prompts, or when someone prefers not to be on camera. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life and keep momentum between meetings.