Laura Contreras
Practical relationship and life-change therapy
LMFT Wisconsin
- Experience
- 5 years in practice
- Focus areas
- Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Parenting
- Approaches
- Gottman Method, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Languages
- English
About Laura
Laura Contreras is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) based in Wisconsin. She focuses on relationship work and common life stresses, using practical methods to help people feel steadier and more connected.
Background and approach
She offers straightforward, goal-focused sessions that address anxiety, depression, grief, parenting strain, and the stresses of career and life change. Laura also helps people navigate intimacy concerns, self-esteem struggles, and the fallout from infidelity or separation.
Her approach aims to make daily life easier to manage rather than rely on jargon or long explanations. In sessions she blends Gottman Method ideas for relationship skills with cognitive behavioral techniques and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy tools.
That means clients may practice small behavior changes, learn clearer ways to talk, and notice thoughts that get in the way of what matters to them. Attachment-based ideas help when past patterns affect present relationships.
Laura works in a direct, supportive style and helps people set short-term goals they can try between meetings. She often focuses on communication habits, coping skills for panic and anxiety, and rebuilding trust after hurt.
Practical exercises and gentle coaching are common parts of the work. With five years as an LMFT, she draws on experience across many concerns including trauma and abuse, family of origin issues, body image, aging and geriatric matters, and career transitions.
Sessions are offered in English for adults living in Wisconsin.
Therapeutic approaches you can use online
Laura integrates Gottman Method ideas to teach clear communication and conflict skills that help partners reduce hurtful interactions and increase connection. Gottman-informed work focuses on practical conversations and small routines that can change how people relate to one another.She also uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) which helps people notice thoughts and choose actions aligned with their values. ACT can be useful for anxiety, depression, and major life changes where getting unstuck matters more than eliminating every uncomfortable thought. Attachment-Based Therapy is another element she draws on to identify how early patterns shape current relationships and to practice new, healthier ways of relating.
Finding the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will work together with each client to pick methods that match their goals, needs, and preferences rather than using one fixed plan. That collaboration includes trying techniques in real life and reviewing what helps.
Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different lifestyles. Video is useful for deeper conversations and role-plays, phone can be easier when bandwidth is limited, and messaging or chat works for quick check-ins or brief coaching between appointments. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, parenting, or travel schedules while still working on skills and goals.
Frequently asked questions
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Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
5+ years
Licensed in
Wisconsin
Languages
English