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Lara Kelso

Lara Kelso

LPC · Missouri

Calm, practical therapy focused on strengths

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Review online therapy options and next steps on BetterHelp.

  • Client-centered
  • Goal focused
  • Evidence informed

About Lara

Lara Kelso is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) practicing in Missouri with seven years of clinical experience. She meets people where they are and helps them face stress, anxiety, relationship struggles, family conflict, and parenting strain. She emphasizes straightforward, practical support so families and individuals can move forward. Lara writes that taking the first step can take courage and she honors that choice.

In sessions she treats clients as the experts in their own lives. She listens for strengths and patterns and helps people name what is getting in the way. Her work often centers on attachment concerns, identity and self-esteem, and the emotional fallout of grief and trauma. Lara also supports people dealing with career changes, compassion fatigue, and the practical fallout of relationship challenges.

Her approach blends evidence-based methods with a client-centered style. She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to notice and shift unhelpful thinking. Narrative Therapy helps people reframe stories that keep them stuck. Solution-Focused tools are used for setting short-term goals and building quick, manageable steps.

Lara brings attention to adoption and foster care issues when they arise, working with the emotional threads that belong to those experiences. She also addresses abandonment and attachment issues tied to family of origin and blended-family dynamics. Her manner is direct but empathetic, aiming to make sessions useful from the first visit.

Practical needs are part of the conversation. She helps clients develop coping skills for daily life and concrete plans for change. If you want a therapist who listens, offers clear tools, and respects your experience, Lara provides that kind of collaborative support.

How these approaches can work online

Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on patterns in close relationships and how early bonds shape current responses. Online work can help people notice those patterns in day-to-day interactions and practice new ways of relating. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at thoughts and behaviors that keep problems going. CBT online often uses short skill building exercises and clear homework to change unhelpful thinking and behavior.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk with each person about their goals, preferences, and what feels most useful. That conversation guides whether the focus is on relationship patterns, practical skills, or rewriting a life story into something more manageable.

Confirm session formats before booking so you know what options are offered. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow for brief check-ins when needed. It can also make some homework and skill practice more practical by using real moments from home or work as material for session work.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesFamily conflictsParenting issuesCoping with life changes

Also works with

Trauma and abuseGriefIntimacy-related issuesSelf esteemCareer difficultiesDepressionCompassion fatigue

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAntisocial personalityAttachment issuesBlended family issuesBody imageCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesDivorce and separationEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFertility issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMidlife crisisMoney and financial issuesPostpartum depressionPregnancy and childbirthSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Narrative TherapySolution-Focused Therapy

Experience

7+ years

Credentials

Missouri, Arizona, Oregon

Languages

English

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does Lara commonly help with?

She works with stress, anxiety, relationship and family issues along with parenting challenges. Other areas include grief, trauma and compassion fatigue.

What is her therapeutic style like?

Her style is listening-first and collaborative. She points out strengths, sets practical goals, and uses straightforward tools clients can try between sessions.

How much clinical experience does she have?

She has seven years of professional experience as an LPC. That background includes work with a variety of relationship and life-transition concerns.

What credentials and location are listed?

She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) practicing in Missouri. The profile lists the LPC credential as provided.

Which languages are supported and can international clients join?

Sessions are offered in English. International clients are not currently accepted.

What session formats are available?

Confirm current session options before booking so you know which formats are offered. The profile does not list specific session types.

How much do sessions cost?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability. Sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

How do I begin working with her?

Select the Start Therapy button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to the therapist's availability.

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