Supervisee in Social Work
Supervised by: David Lewis, LCSW
300 Claremont Lane, Ste. 103,
Crozet, VA 22932 * 434-466-1588
Services
Laura specializes in providing support to individuals coping with anxiety, depression, grief, and loss, as well as challenges around neurodivergence, emotional regulation and parenting.
- Individual psychotherapy
- Parent support and family therapy
- Works with adults, adolescents, and children
- Women’s issues, including pregnancy and post-partum support
- Support for neurodivergent individuals and their families
- Anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, and loss
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
- Mindfulness, grounding, and coping skills for emotional regulation
Biography
Laura enjoys working with children, adolescents and adults seeking support in a variety of areas, including coping skills for managing stress, trauma, and anxiety, as well as navigating concerns around grief, loss, self-esteem, and body image. She has a particular interest in women’s issues, including providing support during pregnancy and in the post-partum stage, as well as support for parents and families seeking to build strong bonds and to navigate concerns around neurodivergence. She draws from a wide range of therapeutic modalities, including cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, and attachment-based approaches. Laura’s therapeutic practice is rooted in compassionate listening and support, from a person-centered, strengths-based lens.
Laura Dowell completed her master’s degree in clinical social work at Virginia Commonwealth University in May 2024. As a Supervisee in Social Work, she completed two field placements: one at Elk Hill’s residential services program, providing individual, family and group therapy to youth with mental and behavioral challenges, and one at the Women’s Initiative, providing individual therapy to adult women. Previously, she earned her bachelor’s degree in English at the University of Mary Washington. Laura served three years in Americorps in Boston Public Schools, developing, and managing academic and arts curriculum for inner city students, and also worked at a humanitarian organization in Calgary, AB, Canada, as an employment coach for the homeless, before moving to Charlottesville to raise her kids.
In her free time, Laura loves to garden outdoors and care for her indoor plants, read memoirs and novels, run, hike, and spend time with her family and friends. Her family enjoys caring for their four pets and playing board games together.
Education
- MSW, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2024
- BA in English, University of Mary Washington, 2005
Certifications
- De-Escalation and Crisis Prevention, The Mandt System
- Mandated Reporters: Recognizing and Reporting Childhood Abuse and Neglect, Virginia Department of Social Services
- DARS Reporting: Adult Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation
- Psychological First Aid (PFA) Online, The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
