Laura has 18 years of experience in education and behavioral health care. She is passionate about increasing access to high-quality mental health services and prevention practices for children and families.

She started her career working in schools as a teacher, and then became an instructional coach and assistant principal. These experiences led to her interest in expanding mental health care for children by partnering with schools. Laura then pursued graduate training and has since been a clinician, trainer, consultant, and supervisor. She is certified in Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and trained in Trauma and Grief Component Therapy for Adolescents (TGCT-A), Structured Psychotherapy for Adolescents Responding to Chronic Stress (SPARCS), and multiple other evidence-based interventions for children and adolescents.

Prior to joining the Lucine Center, Laura co-created, managed, and supervised a school mental health program across eleven schools in New Orleans, LA. The program embeds grief and trauma clinicians in schools to reduce barriers to care and increase collaboration across stakeholders. She is passionate about creating sustainable, integrated mental health systems, providing tailored evidence-based grief and trauma treatment, and including caregiver and child voices throughout the process.

Laura holds a doctorate in School Psychology with a specialization in trauma from Tulane University, completing her pre-doctoral internship at the National Center for School Mental Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She also earned a Master of Education in Educational Leadership and Supervision from National-Louis University.

Laura recently moved from Louisiana to Vermont, where she enjoys spending time with her family and two silly, adorable dogs.