Lara Ashbaugh is a licensed professional counselor who draws on a practical mix of therapies to help people handle stress, anxiety, grief, and life changes.
01About Lara
Lara Ashbaugh is a licensed professional counselor who draws on a practical mix of therapies to help people handle stress, anxiety, grief, and life changes. She brings ten years of clinical experience and uses down-to-earth language to make counseling feel approachable and clear for worried parents and individuals. Lara works from Missouri and conducts sessions in English.
She emphasizes Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy alongside Client-Centered methods.
Background and approach
That means sessions focus on what matters to the person, changeable thinking patterns, and a respectful, collaborative relationship. She also uses Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills for managing strong emotions and improving coping strategies. Lara’s style is warm and interactive.
Conversations are tailored to the individual and aim to build on existing strengths. Practical skills, short exercises, and real-life problem solving are commonly part of the work. Common concerns she addresses include depression, panic and generalized anxiety, attention challenges, addiction, grief, and caregiver stress.
Additional areas she helps with include body image, gender dysphoria, fertility and adoption-related stress, and sexual culture issues such as kink and BDSM when those topics are relevant to the person. Throughout the process Lara uses straightforward coaching alongside therapy techniques. She helps clients set realistic goals, practice new skills between sessions, and track progress.
Her approach is focused on useful tools and steady steps toward better day-to-day functioning.
02Credentials
- LPC (Missouri)
- License 2007035135 · expires June 2027
- NPI
- 1629396239 · national provider identifier
Both are public records. A state board register will confirm a license and its standing, and the national registry will confirm an NPI. This directory copies what the counselor lists and checks neither.
03Focus areas and approaches
Everything Lara lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Grief
- Self esteem
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Trauma and abuse
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Emptiness
- Family problems
- Fertility issues
- Gender dysphoria
- Guilt and shame
- Hearing impaired
- HIV / AIDS
- Hoarding
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Impulsivity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Personality disorders
- Phobias
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Methods Lara names
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Solution-Focused Therapy
These are the methods Lara names on their own professional profile. Naming an approach is not evidence of training or certification in it, and this directory checks no training records. Ask directly if it matters to you.
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04Online support
How ACT, CBT, and DBT work in online therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people clarify their values and take small, meaningful steps toward them while learning to live with difficult thoughts and feelings. It can be useful for anxiety, grief, and life changes because it focuses on what matters most rather than getting stuck on unhelpful thoughts.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy looks at the link between thoughts, feelings, and actions and teaches practical strategies to change unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns. It is often used for depression, anxiety, and problems with focus or motivation.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy offers concrete skills for regulating intense emotions, tolerating distress, and improving communication. These skills are helpful when emotions feel overwhelming or when old coping methods no longer work.
Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Lara will talk with each person about their goals, preferences, and what has or hasn't helped before. Together they decide which methods to try and adjust the plan as progress is tracked over time.
Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different needs. Video calls work well for face-to-face conversation and exercises, phone sessions use less bandwidth, live chat can be a quick check-in, and messaging supports ongoing reflection between sessions. These options make therapy easier to fit around work, caregiving, and busy schedules.
05Questions people ask
What concerns does Lara commonly address?
She helps with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, attention challenges, addictions, and coping with life changes, among other concerns.
What is her therapy style like?
Her style is warm, interactive, and person-focused, blending acceptance-based work with cognitive and skills-based approaches.
How much clinical experience does she have?
Lara has ten years of experience working as a counselor, supervisor, and teacher in clinical settings.
What credentials and region are associated with this therapist?
She holds a Licensed Professional Counselor credential (LPC) in Missouri and practices from that state.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
Therapy can be scheduled as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging.
How does billing and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with this therapist?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to therapist availability.
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