Lura Smedstad is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) in Minnesota with 20 years of experience.
01About Lura
Lura Smedstad is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) in Minnesota with 20 years of experience. She focuses on helping people manage anxiety, depression, grief, relationship strain, and life changes. Her work also covers stress, trauma and abuse, addictions, parenting concerns, and compassion fatigue.
She blends straightforward talk with gentle encouragement. Lura uses practical strategies so clients can set reachable goals and rebuild steadier routines. She also offers creative art-based methods alongside cognitive tools to help people notice what gets in the way of feeling better.
Background and approach
Her background includes work in ministry and leading a multi-year personal growth school that drew students from many helping professions. She completed a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with an art therapy concentration and has done practicum work in counseling and art therapy settings, including a psychiatric hospital.
Over the years Lura has shifted to offering sessions online from her home office. She draws on practices that help people track patterns of thought and emotion, connect more clearly in relationships, and bring attention back into the body when stress is high. Clients leave with specific steps they can practice between sessions.
Lura sees therapy as a collaborative process. She helps people find their own inner voice of wisdom while teaching tools to manage day-to-day challenges and rebuild healthier habits.
02Credentials
- LPC (Minnesota)
- License 01916 · expires October 2026
- NPI
- 1750839551 · national provider identifier
Both are public records. A state board register will confirm a license and its standing, and the national registry will confirm an NPI. This directory copies what the counselor lists and checks neither.
03Focus areas and approaches
Everything Lura lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.
- 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
Methods Lura names
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Somatic Therapy
These are the methods Lura names on their own professional profile. Naming an approach is not evidence of training or certification in it, and this directory checks no training records. Ask directly if it matters to you.
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04Online support
Online approaches that meet you where you are
CBT, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, looks at patterns of thinking and behavior and teaches practical skills to change unhelpful habits. It is useful for anxiety, depression, stress, and problems with motivation.Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) helps people notice and name feelings in the moment and learn new ways to respond in close relationships. It can help with intimacy-related concerns and repairing connection after conflict.
Lura will work collaboratively to find the right mix of methods for each person. She listens to your goals and preferences and adjusts techniques as you learn what helps. Deciding on an approach is a shared process rather than a fixed plan.
Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different needs. Video lets you work face-to-face and practice interaction skills, phone can be easier when bandwidth is limited, and text or chat can suit brief check-ins or those who prefer writing. These options make fitting therapy into work, family, and caregiving schedules more manageable.
05Questions people ask
What concerns does Lura commonly address?
She helps people with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship and intimacy issues, trauma and abuse, addiction, parenting strain, anger, career questions, and life changes.
How would you describe her therapy style?
Her approach is direct but compassionate, mixing cognitive tools with creative and body-based methods to create practical steps for change.
What is her professional background?
She has 20 years of experience, including ministry work, running a school for personal growth, and practicum experience in counseling and art therapy settings.
What credential and location should I know about?
She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) licensed in Minnesota and practices from that state.
Are sessions available in other languages or internationally?
Sessions are offered in English and international clients are not currently accepted.
Which session formats does she offer?
She provides video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different needs.
How does payment and cost work?
Costs vary by location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What do I need to do to begin working with her?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.
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