Lara AshbaughLPC

Lara Ashbaugh is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) practicing in Missouri. She draws on ten years of clinical work to help people cope with stress, anxiety, depression, and major life changes. Her style is warm and interactive, and she aims to treat each person with respect and compassion.

She uses a mix of approaches rather than a single method. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) are common tools in her work. She also incorporates Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills for emotion regulation and relationship challenges.

Lara has supported people facing trauma, emotional abuse, and complex mood concerns including bipolar disorder and ADHD. She also helps with parenting strain, grief, career stress, and issues around identity such as gender dysphoria and LGBT concerns. Additional focus areas include fertility and adoption-related stress, body image, and relationship communication problems.

Sessions emphasize practical skills and realistic goals. Clients can expect to learn coping strategies, mindfulness practices, and ways to notice what is working in their lives. Lara adapts conversations and plans to each person’s needs instead of offering a one-size-fits-all program.

She encourages anyone feeling overwhelmed to take the first step toward change. The tone in sessions is supportive and nonjudgmental, with an emphasis on building strengths and small, manageable changes.

How therapy approaches work online

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on helping people clarify what matters to them and take small, values-based actions. It uses simple exercises to reduce avoidance and build a life that feels meaningful. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and actions and teaches practical strategies to shift unhelpful patterns. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) offers concrete skills for managing strong emotions and improving relationships, such as mindfulness, distress tolerance, and communication tools.

Choosing the right approach is a team effort. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t worked before. Together they will adapt techniques from different approaches to find what fits and adjust over time.

Confirm current session options before booking, as formats are not specified in this biography. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into busy days, shorten commute time, and allow brief check-ins around work or childcare. Some approaches translate well to focused skill practice and homework that can be done between sessions, which helps keep progress moving in ordinary life.