Betty Laird

Betty Laird is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) based in Indiana with four decades of experience. She frames therapy as a space to talk about hard things and to make sense of how those things affect daily life. Betty keeps the tone compassionate and straightforward so people can focus on their concerns without jargon.

Her work often centers on stress, anxiety, grief, depression, trauma and abuse, and compassion fatigue. She also helps with relationship and intimacy questions, parenting stresses, sleeping and eating difficulties, and life changes such as adoption or caregiving. Her background includes long-term practice with mood and personality concerns and situational challenges like cancer or chronic illness.

Betty favors a relationship-based approach. She aims to build a steady, nonjudgmental connection and uses that alliance to help people try new ways of coping. She blends methods from Trauma-Focused Therapy, Attachment-Based Therapy, client-centered work, cognitive behavioral techniques, and Emotionally-Focused Therapy to match what each person needs.

In sessions she may use practical tools and in-the-moment conversation to address patterns, thoughts, and feelings. She also sometimes incorporates cinematherapy, using film clips to prompt reflection on behavior and choices. The pace is collaborative and respects each person’s readiness to change.

People thinking about therapy can expect a clear, conversational style aimed at making hard topics easier to name. Betty encourages questions and works with clients to set goals that feel useful and realistic.

How therapeutic approaches shape online work

Trauma-Focused Therapy addresses the effects of traumatic events by helping people make sense of what happened and reduce its hold on daily life. It often involves paced conversations about memories, reactions, and coping strategies to manage distress.

Attachment-Based Therapy looks at patterns in close relationships and how early bonds affect current trust and emotion. It helps people understand relationship habits and try different ways of connecting or setting boundaries.

Client-Centered Therapy centers the person’s own goals and experiences. The therapist listens closely and follows the client’s lead, helping them name feelings and decide what changes matter most.

Choosing an approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to pick methods that fit their needs, goals, and preferences rather than assuming one path from the start. That way sessions stay relevant and useful.

The biography does not specify available session formats, so confirm current online options before booking. Online sessions can make therapy easier to fit into a busy week, allow for shorter check-ins when needed, and remove travel time. Many people find that meeting remotely helps keep momentum between appointments and makes scheduling more flexible.