A little bit about Laura

Originally from the East Coast, I am a ‘Jersey girl’ who lived the first twenty years of my life in New Jersey. After graduating from college, I moved to the Washington, DC Metropolitan area where I enjoyed the next 20 years. In September of 2012, I relocated to Denver to pursue a long-time dream of living in Colorado.

When I’m not working, I love to do just about anything outside with friends and family – bike, ski, hike and cook on the grill, to name a few. I am passionate about dog rescue and recently adopted a five year old, 10-pound pup from the streets of New Mexico. She enjoys coming to the office with me and seems to know who is interested in her attention and who prefers she just curl up in her dog bed.  

Though I’ve been in Colorado for over a decade, I remain a loyal New York Giants fan, despite the fact they’ve been awful for years! I am a home team girl when it comes to hockey and enjoy cheering on the Avs.

Laughter is the ‘coping skill’ I value most when life gets tough, and I am quick to chuckle at myself, even when no one is watching!

Why do clients choose Laura Cross? Here is a bit of voluntary feedback from a few of her clients.

“Laura is a truly a remarkable therapist. I have recommended her to many friends and colleagues and will continue to do so.”

“What I noticed most about Laura is how comfortable I feel conversing with her ... her friendly relaxed style works great with me. The professionalism of her practice was impressive.”

“Laura is one of the most compassionate people we have ever met.”

“She is warm and down to earth, and really easy to talk to. We find ourselves sharing things with her that I barely admit to myself, and she handles it all in a way that makes me feel truly understood.”

“Laura continues to amaze me with her empathy and ability to completely focus on our discussions during our time together. She has helped us work through many difficult areas of our relationship. We highly recommend her.”

“Laura has been such a tremendous help to us in sorting through our feelings, seeing our situation with clarity and making positive changes. We feel so comfortable talking to her - like we can just be honest and also explore our struggles with lots of encouragement and support. We are so glad to have met Laura!”

Why I Became a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

When I was the young age of 21, and my dad was only 58, he passed away from a lengthy battle with Cancer. Living with cancer in our family for three years, and watching my dad work so hard to fight it, inspired my desire to know more about terminal illness and pursue an initial career in the medical field. Though I had been fortunate enough to say goodbye to him and to prepare for the profound loss in my life, I still found myself experiencing overwhelming grief.  As time went on, I was still struggling to define a new normal in my life without my father. Eventually, I realized I hadn’t fully grieved my loss in a way that promoted emotional healing.  This was the catalyst for seeking my own individual therapy where I was finally able to connect current problems in my life to the grief and feelings of loss from my past. Processing those painful emotions in the safety of my therapist’s office created the space I needed to heal and to learn how to form a healthier relationship with myself and others. 

It has now been more than 30 years since he passed away. Though I still remember the pain of the loss and depth of the emptiness left behind, my grief has been a guide throughout my life to remember how precious people and experiences are, rather than the cause of the heavy weight of depression and unhealed pain. This journey and the insight I gained during my individual therapy continue to inform how I live my life today and significantly contributed to my decision to pursue a career in helping others. I moved my practice in 2012 and have been a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Denver ever since. I am emotionally present with my clients, consistently grounded in curiosity, so you will feel invited to share openly and vulnerably with me as we embark on your therapy journey.

Credentials and Training

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Colorado #MFT.0001224

Certified by ICEEFT, Emotionally Focused Therapist

Certified by ICEEFT, Emotionally Focused Therapy Supervisor (since 2018)

Certified by ICEEFT, Emotionally Focused Individual Therapis (EFIT)

Certified by ICEEFT, Emotionally Focused Family Therapist (EFFT)

American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy Approved Supervisor (since 2019)

Trained by the AEDP Institute - Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy

Trained by EMDRIA - Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR)

Master of Science, Marriage and Family Therapy - Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia

Bachelor of Business Administration, Marketing - James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia

Previous Experience

Denver Family Therapy Center, Individual and Family Therapist for ‘The ROC’ - an alternative high school in Adams County where I provided individual, group and family therapy services for at risk adolescents and their families.

Phoenix Houses of the Mid-Atlantic, Family Therapist - As the Family Therapist on staff, I provided individual counseling, couples therapy and family services for substance abuse clients in an in-patient residential rehabilitation treatment facility.

Center for Family Services - I provided couples, family and individual therapy services for adolescents  and adults who experienced relationship dissatisfaction, anxiety, depression and past trauma.

Professional Research

Cross, L. A. (2012) Understanding Couples’ Perceptions of the Impact of Chronic Back Pain on their Relationship. (Unpublished Manuscript).  A study designed to explore how couples experience changes in their relationship resulting from the onset of chronic back pain, the pain-related factors that most contribute to the changes, and the meaning couples assign to the changes.

Professional Affiliations

American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Clinical Fellow

Colorado Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Member

International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy, Member

Rocky Mountain Family Therapy Network - Emerging Professionals Advocate

Random ‘Fun’ Facts About Me

Best Goal: To enjoy each moment of the on-going process of identifying my purpose in life

Best Habit: Maintaining a curious state of mind during all conversations.

Best Reason to be Happy: The alternative to being happy just isn’t nearly as much fun!

Best Legal Route to Joy: Being outside in the fresh Colorado air while hiking, skiing…anything outside with the people and dog I love most.

Best Flaw: I have a very hard time declining social invitations from friends and family, which often leads to very little ‘Laura Time’.  I can’t help it – I hate to miss out on the fun!

Best Accomplishment: Making the decision to leave an enjoyable 20-year career in corporate America to pursue a more fulfilling career as a Marriage and Family Therapist in Cherry Creek.

Best Motto: “Be curious, not judgmental” – Walt Whitman

Best Under-Appreciated Skill: My ability to laugh at myself on a daily basis when something unexpected happens or I accidentally do something silly.

Laura's clients use these words to describe her:

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