Saribeth Lavely

I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Missouri and Illinois providing virtual therapy for teens and adults. My background is primarily in community mental health, where I’ve worked with clients navigating anxiety, depression, PTSD, emotional dysregulation, parenting stress, and major life transitions.

I tend to work well with people who want therapy to feel human and collaborative rather than overly formal or clinical. I’m naturally conversational, fairly direct, and believe humor can absolutely have a place in therapy when appropriate. You do not need to show up polished, emotionally eloquent, or “good at therapy” for us to work well together.

I value authenticity, transparency, and helping clients feel understood while also supporting meaningful change and growth over time.

My approach is practical, behavioral, and individualized. I often help clients identify patterns, improve emotional regulation, increase distress tolerance, and build coping strategies that actually feel realistic to use outside of session.

I draw from experience with DBT, trauma-focused approaches including Prolonged Exposure and TF-CBT, motivational interviewing, strengths-based therapy, and solution-focused interventions. I frequently incorporate skill-building and between-session practice, while also making space for insight, self-awareness, and processing deeper patterns over time.

I believe therapy works best when there’s room for both validation and accountability. My goal is to help clients feel supported while also gently challenging avoidance, self-criticism, or patterns that may be keeping them stuck.

Starting therapy can be uncomfortable, especially if you’re worried about being judged, saying the wrong thing, or not knowing where to start. My goal during the first sessions is to create an environment that feels relaxed, collaborative, and low-pressure while still helping us get a clear picture of what’s bringing you in.

We’ll talk about current stressors, symptoms, goals, and what you’re hoping to get out of therapy, but I also genuinely like getting to know clients as people. If we end up talking about your favorite movie, music, or oddly specific interests for part of the session, that’s completely okay and welcomed, too.

You can expect me to be engaged, transparent, and interactive rather than sitting silently and nodding for 50 minutes. Early sessions often focus on building comfort, identifying helpful tools or strategies, and creating a foundation for long-term progress.