Laurel Greene Kaiser

Laurel Greene Kaiser is a Licensed Independent Social Worker with Supervisory Designation in the State of Ohio. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Ursuline College and her master’s degree in social work from Cleveland State University.

With more than 17 years of experience, Laurel has supported children, adolescents, adults, and families through individual counseling, group work, and community-based programs. She specializes in resilience-focused approaches that help people recognize their strengths, navigate challenges, and build the skills and confidence needed to move forward.

Throughout her career, Laurel has provided prevention services to middle school students, offered community-based mental health counseling to individuals of all ages, and worked in higher education. In that setting, she served as the director of a student success program for first-generation college students and as a counselor and case manager within the college counseling department.

Laurel is also passionate about providing workshops and trainings for parents, educators, and helping professionals on practical ways to foster resilience in young people. At the heart of her work is a commitment to compassionate, individualized care that helps each person feel understood, recognize what is already strong within them, and thrive.

My therapeutic style is warm, collaborative, creative, and active. I believe meaningful growth begins when people feel genuinely understood—not judged, labeled, or reduced to a diagnosis. Using an integrative, resilience-focused approach, I draw from evidence-based practices while tailoring therapy to each client’s personality, needs, strengths, and stage of life. Depending on the client, sessions may include conversation, skill-building, mindfulness, movement, art, play, or exploring patterns connected to relationships and past experiences.

Attachment is also an important part of my work. I help clients understand how early experiences and significant relationships may influence the ways they seek connection, respond to conflict, protect themselves, and communicate their needs. Together, we look beneath emotions and behaviors with curiosity rather than shame, identify existing strengths, and develop practical tools for creating healthier patterns. I offer compassion and validation while also gently challenging what may be keeping someone stuck. My goal is not only to reduce symptoms, but to help each person feel more secure, connected, capable, and confident in navigating life and relationships.

The first session is an opportunity for us to get to know one another and determine whether working together feels like a good fit. We will talk about what brought you to therapy, what has been feeling difficult, and what you hope might change. I will also ask about your experiences, relationships, strengths, and supports so I can begin to understand you as a whole person, not simply a list of symptoms.

An important part of this conversation is understanding what has and has not worked for you in the past. This includes previous experiences with therapy, coping strategies you have tried, and anything that made you feel especially supported, misunderstood, or discouraged. You do not need to have everything figured out or know exactly where to begin, and you will never be expected to share more than you feel ready to discuss.

For clients under the age of 18, the first session is held with the parent or guardian only. This gives us an opportunity to discuss relevant history, background information, current concerns, family dynamics, strengths, and goals before I begin meeting with the child or teen. My approach includes parents as an important part of the therapeutic process. I believe children make the most progress when parents and therapists work together as a team, while also respecting the child’s need for age-appropriate privacy and trust.

My goal is for you to leave the first session feeling heard, understood, and a little more hopeful about what comes next. Together, we will begin identifying meaningful goals and discussing an approach that fits your individual needs.