Laura is an Advanced Practice Social Worker with a background in child welfare, earning hours towards her clinical license. She specializes in working with very young children and their caregivers. Laura strives to build trusting relationships with children so that they feel safe to share (and have some fun!) in therapy sessions. She works with children to develop self-regulation skills and gain confidence in their ability to cope with intense feelings. Laura is passionate about partnering with the guardians of her young clients and considers the caregiver-child relationship critical to mental health in early childhood. Laura earned her MSW at the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work at UW-Madison in 2017. Prior to joining Gals Institute in 2023, Laura worked as a child protection social worker in Dane County. Laura’s educational background and experience includes working with families in crisis, strengthening family systems, and adjusting the child’s environment to promote overall wellbeing. Her therapeutic approach with young children employs evidence-based tools to address current challenges and build a strong social-emotional foundation at an early age.

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Laura lives in Brookfield with her family. She loves many of the same things that she did when she was little – climbing trees, playing sports, and eating chocolate cupcakes. If she wasn’t a therapist, she would be an arborist!