Works with
- Anger
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Self esteem
How Lura works
Practical facts
- Credentials
- LPC
- Licensed in
- Minnesota
- Years in practice
- 20
- Languages
- English
- Session format
- Online, through our partner platform
About Lura
Lura Smedstad is a licensed professional counselor who helps people facing stress, anxiety, anger, grief, and life transitions. She works with adults and teens, guiding them toward clearer goals and healthier relationships. Lura draws on twenty years of practice and a calm, straightforward manner to support practical change.
She uses a mix of methods to match each person's needs. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and try different behaviors.
Background and approach
Emotionally-Focused Therapy supports understanding and shifting strong feelings that affect relationships. Mindfulness and somatic methods invite attention to the body and present moment to ease overwhelm. Her background blends clinical training and community ministry.
She completed a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a concentration in Art Therapy and practiced in psychiatric and community settings. Earlier work included leading a multi-year school for personal growth and spiritual development, which shaped her interest in values and meaning.
Lura has worked in a variety of states and settings over the years, and she has provided telehealth sessions since 2020. Her way of working is practical and direct, while remaining warm and respectful. She helps people set realistic steps they can use between sessions.
Clients who choose her often want tools for managing intense emotions, rebuilding after loss, or finding steady direction after major life changes. Lura aims to help people reconnect with their inner sense of wisdom and move toward daily routines that feel more manageable.
What Lura works with
Everything Lura lists, in the therapist's own terms. Anger is the reason this directory exists; the rest tells you what usually sits alongside it in Lura's practice.
- 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.
Approaches that translate well to online therapy
CBT - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on identifying and testing thoughts and behaviors that keep problems going. It offers concrete exercises and homework that are easy to use between online sessions and track over time.EFT - Emotionally-Focused Therapy centers on recognizing and shifting strong emotions that shape how people relate. Online sessions can help people name feelings, practice new responses, and strengthen connection to their own experience.
Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, daily routines, and what feels most comfortable. She will suggest CBT, EFT, mindfulness, or somatic techniques based on those needs and adjust the plan as progress is made. This keeps treatment collaborative and practical.
Online formats offer useful practical benefits. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and visible cues. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging suit brief updates, coaching-style support, or times when typing feels simpler than speaking. These options make therapy more flexible around work, caregiving, and travel while keeping the focus on tools and steps that help in everyday life.
Questions people ask about Lura
What concerns does she commonly address?
Lura works with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, anger, relationship and intimacy issues, parenting strain, addictions, trauma and related concerns listed in her specialties.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her style is direct and compassionate, blending cognitive work with emotional and body-focused practices to create concrete steps clients can try between sessions.
How much experience does she bring?
She has about 20 years of experience in counseling and related ministry work, including practice in psychiatric and community settings.
What credentials and location are listed?
She is an LPC - Licensed Professional Counselor - practicing from Minnesota and holding a Minnesota LPC credential.
Which languages and international arrangements are available?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not accepting international clients at this time.
What session formats does she provide?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging for online work.
How are costs and billing handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin a conversation with her?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a time according to the therapist's availability.