- Years in practice
- 20
- Credentials
- LPC
- Licensed in
- Minnesota
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Relationship issues
- Focus
- Family conflicts
About Lura
Lura Smedstad is a licensed professional counselor who helps people facing anxiety, depression, parenting stress, grief, and trauma. She offers calm, practical direction and helps clients set realistic goals for daily life. Her style blends straightforward guidance with warmth, aimed at making change feel manageable.
She uses multiple ways of working to meet each person's needs. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is part of her toolkit for shifting unhelpful thoughts and behaviors.
Background and approach
Mindfulness and somatic approaches help people notice how emotions show up in the body and learn simple coping skills. Her background mixes clinical training and long years in community and ministry settings. She completed a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a concentration in Art Therapy and has practiced for two decades in a variety of roles.
Her path included work in hospitals, spiritual communities, and outpatient clinics, which shaped a practical, person-focused approach. Lura also draws on creative processes and a belief that people carry an inner sense of wisdom. She often invites gentle creative or reflective exercises alongside talk work to help people connect with what matters to them.
Sessions aim to be goal-oriented and suited to the individual's rhythm. She practices in Minnesota and conducts sessions in English. Her professional credential is Licensed Professional Counselor, or LPC, and she has experience supporting people through life transitions, caregiver stress, postpartum depression, and compassion fatigue.
What Lura works with
Everything Lura lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Lura helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Self esteem
- Addictions
- Trauma and abuse
- Intimacy-related issues
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Career difficulties
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Compassion fatigue
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Family of origin issues
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Life purpose
- Postpartum depression
Approaches Lura lists
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Somatic Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
Online approaches that fit your life
Emotion-focused work such as Emotionally-Focused Therapy helps people understand patterns in close relationships and name emotions that drive reactions; it can be useful for improving connection and emotional clarity. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and trying small behavioral changes to reduce anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms.Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match their goals, needs, and comfort level. Together they may try CBT techniques, mindfulness exercises, or somatic practices and adjust based on what helps most.
Online sessions are offered as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to make care more flexible. Video allows face-to-face conversation and skills practice, phone can be a simpler option when bandwidth is limited, and text or chat supports brief check-ins or ongoing reflection between sessions. These options help fit therapy into busy schedules and different daily routines.
Questions people ask about Lura
What concerns does Lura commonly address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma and parenting-related concerns, plus issues like self-esteem, addictions, anger, career changes, and compassion fatigue.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her approach is direct yet compassionate, combining cognitive behavior strategies with mindfulness and body-centered techniques to create practical, short-term goals.
What is her clinical background?
She has 20 years of counseling experience and completed a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling with a concentration in art therapy.
Where is she licensed and located?
She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) practicing in Minnesota.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can she work with clients outside the United States?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
What session formats are available?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different schedules and communication preferences.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule a session based on therapist availability.
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