Individuals Couples Adults LGBTQ+
Chronic Illness
Grief
Martial Issues
Life Transitions
General
Check here to see if your insurance benefits help to pay for your sessions.
“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.”
I have admired this quote from Maya Angelou as it expresses my belief that it’s what we learn from the difficulties we face that we’re able to grow and live intentional, meaningful lives.
________________________________________________________________
I’m Laurette.
I’m a native Houstonian and love this city, with all the diversity that it offers.
I’ll start out by letting you know about me, both personally and my life as a therapist.
I learned early in life about caring for others. My maternal grandmother was a tremendous influence on me. She was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis later in life. Treatments for this were not advanced as they are today. Therefore, I watched her suffer with tremendous pain while also living an incredibly full life, always looking out and caring for others. I cared deeply for her and how she chose to live life amidst her challenges.
I used what I learned from my grandmother early in my own life, as I was diagnosed as a Type 1 Diabetic at age 11. Through suffering of my own I realized the connection between our physical and mental health. As I grew, I realized that our spiritual well-being was also a part of this connection.
As a therapist, I bring this into my sessions with clients, working with a ‘whole person approach’, addressing their mental, physical and spiritual well-being. I work with those dealing with trauma, difficult transitions in life, depression, grief, anxiety and those with chronic illnesses. For the past five years, I have co-facilitated a grief support group, helping those who have lost a loved one either recently or in the distant past. This takes place in a comforting setting where participants have a space to communicate personal parts of their grief where others listen, respect and encourage one another. Finally, I have a deep respect for the LGBTQ community and have learned a great deal about the unique situations that this community is faced with daily.
As for my education, I attended the University of Texas and completed my undergraduate degree at Houston Baptist University. In my early career my time out of the home was spent teaching in early childhood classrooms. I greatly appreciated my time at home as a mother raising our four children. When our children were older, I felt a calling to help others in my work, driven primarily from my own life experiences. I returned to graduate school to continue my studies in psychology and theology, completing my Masters in Christian Counseling at Houston Baptist University.
I’ve practiced in a range of settings – private counseling center, clinic work and pastoral counseling at Houston’s St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital and Texas Children’s Hospital, as well as running my own private practice.
Fun Facts: I loved running in my earlier years and am thankful to have completed two marathons during that time. Seems like a lifetime ago! I currently enjoy swimming and hiking. I have been married to my husband for over 40 years and we have four wonderful children and their equally wonderful spouses. Most of all we cherish our time with our friends and family, especially our precious grandchildren. That is where I find my joy!
I’m grateful to be on the Ajana Therapy and Clinical Services team and look forward to working with those who come my way.