- Attachment informed
- Client-centered care
- Film-based reflection
About Betty
Betty Laird is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) based in Indiana with four decades of practice. She frames therapy as a collaborative, caring process and offers a calm space to talk about pain, stress, and life changes. Her work emphasizes respect for each person's resilience and vulnerability.
She draws on client-centered and attachment-based ideas to focus on relationships and how they shape current struggles. Cognitive behavioral techniques are used when helpful to identify unhelpful thoughts and build new coping habits. Emotionally-focused and existential perspectives help people make sense of loss, purpose, and deep feelings.
Common concerns she supports include anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, relationship and intimacy-related issues, compassion fatigue, and ADHD. She also addresses parenting strain, sleep and eating difficulties, career stress, and chronic illness or caregiver stress. Additional focuses include adoption and foster care, abandonment, attachment issues, and body image concerns.
Betty describes the therapeutic relationship as the core tool for change. Sessions aim to provide a nonjudgmental space to voice emotions, try new ways of responding, and rehearse healthier patterns. She sometimes uses cinematherapy - discussing films to reflect on coping and conflict patterns.
Her background includes study at Loyola University in Chicago and a long clinical career totaling 40 years. Sessions are conducted in English and follow a collaborative rhythm that adapts to each person's pace and goals.
She draws on client-centered and attachment-based ideas to focus on relationships and how they shape current struggles. Cognitive behavioral techniques are used when helpful to identify unhelpful thoughts and build new coping habits. Emotionally-focused and existential perspectives help people make sense of loss, purpose, and deep feelings.
Common concerns she supports include anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, relationship and intimacy-related issues, compassion fatigue, and ADHD. She also addresses parenting strain, sleep and eating difficulties, career stress, and chronic illness or caregiver stress. Additional focuses include adoption and foster care, abandonment, attachment issues, and body image concerns.
Betty describes the therapeutic relationship as the core tool for change. Sessions aim to provide a nonjudgmental space to voice emotions, try new ways of responding, and rehearse healthier patterns. She sometimes uses cinematherapy - discussing films to reflect on coping and conflict patterns.
Her background includes study at Loyola University in Chicago and a long clinical career totaling 40 years. Sessions are conducted in English and follow a collaborative rhythm that adapts to each person's pace and goals.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
LGBTRelationship issuesFamily conflictsIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesADHD
Additional focus areas
AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeAvoidant personalityBlended family issuesBody imageCancerCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCo-morbidityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personalityDisruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)DissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFertility issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessGender dysphoriaGuilt and shameHospice and end-of-life counselingImpulsivityInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMidlife crisisMood disordersNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksParanoiaPersonality disordersPhobiasPolyamory / non-monogamous relationshipsPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthPrejudice and discriminationProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSexual assault and abuseSocial anxiety and phobiaSomatizationTrichotillomaniaVisually impairedWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Existential TherapyMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy
Experience
40+ years
Credentials
Indiana
Languages
English
How therapeutic approaches translate to online work
Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on patterns in close relationships and helps people notice how early bonds affect current reactions. In online sessions this can look like talking through relationship stories, mapping emotions, and trying new responses to reduce reactivity.Client-Centered Therapy prioritizes the person's experience and pacing. The therapist listens closely, reflects back what she hears, and supports people in finding their own answers to problems like grief, self-esteem, or life transitions.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps identify unhelpful thoughts and build practical coping skills. Online work can include reviewing thought records, setting small experiments, and practicing new behaviors between sessions.
Choosing an approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will discuss goals, try methods, and adjust based on what fits. People often mix elements from several approaches until they find what helps most.
Session formats are not specified in the biography, so confirm current options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow for shorter check-ins when schedules demand it. It also supports consistent follow-up work, like homework or film clips used in cinematherapy, without needing an in-person visit.
Frequently asked questions
What issues does Betty commonly address?
She helps with anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, relationship and intimacy concerns, compassion fatigue, ADHD, and related life changes.
What is her style in sessions?
Her approach is warm and nonjudgmental and centers the therapeutic relationship. She works collaboratively and adapts methods to each person.
What experience does she bring?
Betty has 40 years of clinical experience and has worked with a wide range of mood, stress, and trauma-related concerns.
What credentials and region are listed?
She holds an LCSW license and practices from Indiana.
Which languages are supported for therapy?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the United States work with her?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are fees and payment handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin a therapy match?
Select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to the therapist's availability.
Before you get in touch
Therapists listed here offer talking therapy online. A profile is not a diagnosis of you or of anyone in your life, and no therapist can promise how a relationship will turn out.
If you are in danger, or someone is hurting or threatening you, contact emergency services or a domestic-abuse helpline. The numbers are at the foot of this page.