- Person-centered care
- CBT and solutions
- Mindfulness tools
About Laverne
Laverne Santangelo is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Michigan who focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, sleep struggles, addiction, mood concerns, and life transitions. She draws on ten years of counseling experience and a long history of working in helping roles to support practical change. Laverne aims to create a calm, respectful place where people can talk through what feels overwhelming and shape realistic next steps.
She brings personal experience with mental health and with loved ones affected by addiction, and this background informs a practical, empathetic style. Her work has included inpatient substance use programs, community mental health, and group facilitation for women navigating life changes. Laverne also served in the Army National Guard for 23 years and has volunteered in helping roles across different settings for 25 years.
In sessions she uses person-centered planning to co-create goals and treatment steps that fit each person's situation. She draws from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to notice and change unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns. Motivational interviewing and solution-focused methods help with readiness and small, achievable shifts.
She also incorporates mindfulness and holistic ideas, including breathing and gentle movement, when clients want that. Laverne describes her work as collaborative and practical - she helps people identify what to try next and how to make it part of everyday life. She welcomes English-speaking clients and is available to work with international clients as well.
To start, prospective clients are asked to complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule according to therapist availability. Cost varies with location and uses a cancel-anytime subscription model.
Therapeutic approaches and how they work online
Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and working from the client's priorities. The therapist follows each person’s lead and helps shape goals that feel useful and doable. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps identify unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and replace them with practical alternatives; it is often used for anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and impulse control. Mindfulness Therapy offers simple attention and breathing practices to reduce reactivity and improve rest and focus.Deciding which approach to use is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with the client about what feels most relevant and try methods that match comfort and goals. Plans can be adjusted over time based on what is helping and what needs to change.
Because the biography does not list specific session formats, confirm current online session options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit counseling into a busy life by removing travel time, allowing shorter check-ins when needed, and letting sessions happen from different locations. For clients focusing on sleep and rest, online sessions can support planning bedtime routines, practicing breathing or mindfulness exercises together, and reviewing small behavioral changes that improve sleep over time.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
10+ years
Credentials
Michigan
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Laverne commonly address?
She helps people with stress, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, addiction, sleep and eating concerns, relationship and intimacy issues, grief, parenting strain, ADHD, and other mood and life-change challenges.
What is her general therapy style?
She uses a person-centered approach that emphasizes collaboration and practical steps, adding Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, motivational interviewing, mindfulness, and solution-focused techniques as appropriate.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has ten years of counseling experience and many additional years volunteering and working in helping roles across treatment settings.
What credential and region should I know about?
She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) practicing in Michigan.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the United States work with her?
She accepts international clients; confirm any region-specific details during intake.
How does pricing work for sessions?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability, and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What are the first steps to begin therapy?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to the therapist's availability.