Meet Laurie
Laurie W. Howell, LMFT is the owner and therapist at Newcastle Family Therapy, PLLC. Laurie has over 19 years of post-graduate experience providing family therapy. Laurie is a compassionate, strength-based clinician who seeks to find the most change from within the client’s own reservoirs of strength and interests. Laurie received her undergraduate degree from Sewanee (otherwise known as The University of the South) and her graduate degree from Virginia Tech.
In 2009, Laurie completed post-graduate training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Exposure and Response Prevention from the Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation. Laurie recently completed the clinical requirements for certification as a Grief Recovery Specialist. With hopes to integrate her passion for animals with her practice, she is starting groups to address grief recovery for pet loss starting in 2016.
As part of a reevaluation of my medication, Laurie Howell was highly recommended by another health care professional to assist me in finding productive ways to work thru my increasing levels of anxiety and depression. After participating in several years of therapy that was empathetic but not geared to develop my own life skills, I was hopeful that a new start would be the right step. I am very encouraged to have seen my own personal progress in meeting with Laurie over the past weeks in that I have found her to be quick to understand, intuitive, and very helpful in guiding me with my therapy. I also would recommend Newcastle Family Therapy as I’ve come to trust Laurie as one of my valued wellness advisers.
-Male client, 52 years old
Laurie is an awesome therapist who changed my life for the better when I met her. She helped me out of a terrible debilitating crisis period. Her caring, empathetic, accommodating and non-judgmental nature made it very easy to open up to her and receive the help I needed. I had seen other therapists in the past but had not received any relief from my OCD until I started seeing Laurie. Laurie’s knowledge in OCD and anxiety disorders is very vast and she helped treat me with very specific goals and “homework” assignments. I am living a very happy and successful life now and I am very thankful for the help I received from Laurie and I highly recommend her to anyone needing assistance.
-Female client, 26 years old
I am not sure we would have been able to get past our daughter’s OCD and the trauma it brought our family without Laurie. Laurie was there for us at the times we really needed help. She was excellent with my daughter and was able to relate to her at her level so my daughter felt comfortable. She knew what words and action to take or use in order to bring my daughter out of her toughest places. Laurie was a major contributor to my daughter’s recovery from this horrible disorder.
-Father of 12 year-old client
I cannot begin to explain just how much of an impact Laurie has had on my life. When I began seeing Laurie, my main goal was to learn how to manage day-to-day life in high school. Through the help of Laurie I have been able to do exceedingly more than just manage. I am thriving academically and socially, and now I am able to attend college away from home. I never could have hoped for anything that I have been able to accomplish in the last couple of years. Laurie saw beyond my anxiety and was able to give me the resources, strength, and confidence in myself to conquer my fears. I truly feel Laurie understands me and even more than that she believes in me. I will forever be thankful for her guidance because there is not a shadow of a doubt in my mind that I would not be where I am today without her help. She definitely challenged me to face situations I thought were beyond my ability, and she gave me the capability to succeed in those situations. Honestly, she was a blessing in a critical point in my life where I needed that assistance, support, and guidance and I am so thankful her impact on my life thus far.
-Female client, 19 years old
- What ages of clients do you see?
- I primarily work with adolescents and young adults.
- Do you accept insurance?
- I am in-network with most BCBS plans through employers (not through the marketplace).
- Will you provide out of network services and bill my insurance?
- If your insurance company pays a percentage of fees for out-of-network services I will provide you with a detailed receipt including all the necessary codes and information required. You would need to submit this information to your insurance carrier.
- What should I bring to my appointment?
- If you would like me to bill your insurance, please bring your insurance identification card. Paperwork for new clients is available on this website under NEW CLIENT PAPERWORK and you may complete it beforehand, but it isn’t necessary for you to do so.
- Do you only see families?
- I see individuals and families. My degree is in Marriage and Family Therapy and I have always considered myself a family therapist. For me, being a family therapist means that I consider every person’s community to be an essential part of their story and sometimes their treatment.
- Do you provide marital/couples counseling?
- No, I refer out most couples who call seeking couples counseling as their primary need for treatment.
Newcastle (pictured above) was a family retreat located in Pawleys Island, South Carolina. Newcastle was owned and operated by relatives on my mother’s side of the family who worked hard to make the guests feel at home. I have heard many stories told about visits to Newcastle which were always described as relaxing, peaceful, and fun. I decided to carry on the name with the intent of providing a similar place of refuge.