Laura McLaughlin LPC Supervisor RPT

Laura McLaughlin, M.Ed., LPC-S, RPT is a child and adolescent therapist in the Dallas, TX area. Laura is the founder of the private practice therapy group, HeadFirst Counseling (www.headfirstdallas.com). In private practice, Laura primarily works with children diagnosed with ADHD, Oppositional and Defiant Disorders, trauma, attachment concerns, and emotional and behavioral disruptions.

Laura obtained her Bachelor of Science degree from The University of Texas at Austin and a Master's degree in Clinical Counseling from the University of North Texas. As a young adult, Laura spent a brief stint living in New York City working at the prestigious Child Mind Institute and studying psychopharmacology under Dr. Roy Boorady before returning to Dallas.

In the community, Laura works with Community Partners of Dallas (http://www.cpdtx.org) as part of their HEART program to provide group therapy services to child victims of sexual abuse in Dallas County. Laura currently serves on the board of the North Texas Chapter of the Texas Association for Play Therapy (www.txapt.org) as the Member-At-Large, connecting play therapists in the Dallas area with resources to expand the knowledge and impact of play therapy in the community. Laura is also an advocate with Dallas CASA (dallascasa.org), advocating for child victims of abuse and neglect so they can grow up in safe and nurturing homes where they can reach their full potential.

As part of her work at HeadFirst Counseling, in 2022 after the Uvalde elementary school shooting Laura founded the HeadFirst Mental Health Initiative- a 501(c)3 non-profit aimed at increasing the awareness of the current mental health crisis in Dallas by providing free therapy services and community education to the community.