Laura Cornell, PhD
Laura has 18 years of experience in education and behavioral health care. She is passionate about increasing access to high-quality mental health services and prevention practices for children and families.
She started her career as a teacher, instructional coach, and assistant principal. These experiences led to her interest in expanding mental health care for children by partnering with schools. Laura then pursued graduate training and has since been a clinician, trainer, consultant, and supervisor. She is certified in Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Structured Psychotherapy for Adolescents Responding to Chronic Stress (SPARCS), and Trauma and Grief Component Therapy for Adolescents (TGCT-A), and integrates additional dialectical, cognitive, and attachment-based strategies into her work.
Prior to joining the Meadows Institute, Laura co-created, managed, and supervised a school mental health program in New Orleans, LA that embeds grief and trauma clinicians in schools to reduce barriers to care and increase collaboration across stakeholders. Her research and clinical interests focus on creating sustainable, integrated mental health systems in schools, providing tailored evidence-based grief and trauma treatment, and including caregiver and child voices throughout the process.
In her role at The Trauma and Grief Center, Laura works to provide consultation and training in the implementation of trauma- and grief-informed mental health services to children, adolescents, and families. She also works with schools and other organizations on trauma-informed approaches to working with children and families outside of treatment settings.
Laura holds a doctorate in School Psychology with a specialization in trauma from Tulane University, completing her pre-doctoral internship at the National Center for School Mental Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She also earned a Master of Education in Educational Leadership and Supervision from National-Louis University.
