Laura Weichert (Intern Therapist)

Laura Weichert (Intern Therapist)

Hi! My name is Laura (she/her) and I am an intern therapist at The Center for Growth, seeing clients from January 2026 through March 2027. I’m currently earning my Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy through Northwestern University’s online program and have completed Level 1 Training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy.

My approach

I practice a strengths-based, collaborative approach, which means you and I are a team. You are the expert on your own life, and my role is to support you and bring a different kind of expertise to the table. Together, we combine your lived experience with my training and build something new. We’ll explore your goals and work toward them at a pace that feels right for you.

As a marriage and family therapy intern, I work from a systemic lens, meaning we’ll pay attention to your relationships, your patterns, and the environments shaping your life. While most therapists consider relationships, for me, that’s our starting point.

Therapy is not one-size-fits-all, which is why my approach is integrative. We will pull from different models and interventions to create a plan that fits your specific needs. An integrative approach gives us the freedom to use whatever tools help you most, and to adjust as your life shifts. However your story unfolds, we’ll navigate it together.

What therapy feels like with me

Therapy with me is a space where you’re heard, understood, not judged, and not alone in whatever you’re carrying. I am often described as warm and empathetic, but direct when needed. I believe in holding space for you, but also holding you accountable. I will support you, encourage your growth, and highlight your strengths and accomplishments, but I won’t shy away from gently challenging you or nudging you towards your full potential. After all, that’s the only way to create meaningful change.

I’m not a blank-slate therapist. I show up as a real human. I use humor when it fits, I react, I smile, and I sit with you. My goal is for therapy to feel like a genuine relationship where you can exhale and be yourself. Our work together will feel honest and productive. It’s a place you can arrive exactly as you are, and leave feeling like something shifted, even if the shift is small.

I am passionate about helping people build more fulfilling relationships with the people that matter most to them. Relationships can be a source of stress, but also an incredible place of healing and change. We are all capable of growth, and I am here to help you move toward it.

Who I work with

I work with individuals, couples, and families in all stages of life.

Couples

I love working with couples who want to reconnect, communicate more effectively, or understand why they keep getting stuck in the same conflict loops. I support couples navigating:

• transitions (babies, marriage, career shifts, loss)

• betrayal, broken trust, or infidelity

• intimacy concerns or emotional disconnection

• parenting strain and co-parenting differences

• blended family or step-family challenges

• premarital work and preventative relational care

• relationship structures outside monogamy, including open relationships or polyamory

You don’t need to be in crisis to start therapy. Many couples come to strengthen their bond, deepen emotional intimacy, or learn to turn toward each other instead of away.

Families

I enjoy working with families as a whole, and I often work with subsets like parent/child dyads, siblings, teens, and children. Together, we can work on:

• communication and conflict patterns
• navigating expectations or misunderstanding
• developmental changes and independence
• building empathy, patience, and connection
• healing old wounds that still shape today

Individuals

Marriage and Family Therapists don’t only work with couples and families. I love individual work just as much. I am particularly drawn to clients who identify as:

• “people pleasers”

• high achievers juggling anxiety, burnout, or perfectionism

• women exploring identity, roles, or expectations

• those in life transitions like graduating, changing careers, getting married, becoming parents

• people seeking more balance, confidence, or clarity

Clinical foundations and influences

While my style is relational, intuitive, and conversational, I also integrate structured therapeutic models when helpful, such as (but not limited to):

• Systemic and Relational Therapy: we look at your life in context, including relationships, family patterns, and the environments shaping you.

• Gottman Method (Level 1 Training Completed): we use practical communication tools to reduce conflict and increase connection in relationships.

• Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT): we slow down conversations to help partners feel heard, connected, and emotionally safe.

• Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) : we focus on your strengths and build small, realistic steps that move you forward.

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): we notice your thinking patterns and explore more balanced ways of relating to yourself.

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): we help you notice what’s showing up inside you without getting tangled in it, and take meaningful action guided by your values.

• Narrative Therapy: we explore the stories you’ve been living inside and consider what new story you might want to write.

• Attachment-Based Therapy: we make space to understand how early relationships shaped you, and how you want to relate today.

Background and hobbies

I grew up in Ohio and earned my B.A. from The Ohio State University in Strategic Communication with a minor in Psychology. After graduating, I moved to New York City and worked as a creative copywriter in the advertising world. I loved the storytelling and creativity that work required, but over time, I found myself pulled back toward my original passion- supporting people through meaningful change. That led me to apply to Northwestern University’s Marriage and Family Therapy master’s program, where I’m now continuing my clinical training.

My writing background still shows up in my therapeutic work. I enjoy thinking creatively and out-of-the-box in session. I love to explore metaphors, give journaling prompts, use narrative techniques, and interventions that feel tailored and unique to you and your situation.

Outside the therapy room, you can usually find me out running or walking my dog, trying a new restaurant, or experimenting with a new recipe in the kitchen. I also love slow days curled up with a book or movie on the couch. Rest is productive too! It’s a big part of the work we will do together.

Final thoughts

Finding a therapist can be intimidating. It's hard to know what to expect or where to start. The good news is that beginning is often the hardest part, and you’ve already taken that step.

There’s no rulebook for how you should feel or who you should be. In therapy, we honor what’s true for you and build from there, one step at a time. Some clients come in with a clear goal, while others come in knowing something is off, but not yet having the words for it. Wherever you are, we’ll start there.

If you’re ready to move toward a more grounded, meaningful, and connected version of your life, I would love to work with you.

Let’s get started!

Laura Weichert (Intern Therapist)'s Resume