Lauralee Estes Credentials

MEd. Guidance and Counseling, University of Montevallo, 1996

MDiv. Pastoral Care and Counseling , The New Orleanes Baptist & Theological Seminary, 1989

B.S. Art Education , The University of Alabama, 1977

About Lauralee Estes

Art, music and recreation have been an important part of her character development and life focus. Her elementary and high school education were where she develop her unique abilities. In college, she earned a bachelor's of science degree from the University of Alabama/Tuscaloosa in education and was certified a teacher in grades K-12 from 1977-2002 with the State of Alabama. She enjoys singing and participating in organized sports.

Upon graduating from the University of Alabama, she taught school in Tuscaloosa county for several years. Her life took a new direction with a desire to work in the hospital setting. She graduated from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary/New Orleans, Louisiana in 1989, then she completed a year residency at Carraway Methodist Medical Center/Birmingham, Alabama in 1990. During this study, she realized she had the ability to work successfully counseling with family groups, so she decided to continue counseling training. The training required a specific amount of supervision, individual counseling, long term counseling and more education. She earned her master's degree in Guidance and Counseling from the University of Montevallo in 1996.

At Carraway Hospital during her one year residency, she visited on different units offering counseling support to the nurses, patients, and doctors. The units she worked with were CCU, ICU, Obstetrics, Oncology, HIV/AIDS, Orthopedics, Geriatrics, and Neurology. After graduating from the University of Montevallo, she was employed by Hill Crest Hospital in Birmingham which gave her an opportunity to Use her therapy skills with various client populations including family groups, chemical dependency, post traumatic stress disorders, acute psychiatric adults, adolescents and children. She continued in counseling supervision for two more years and was Licensed to be a Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) for the State of Alabama.

Lauralee has counseled with hospice patients and their grieving families for over 10 years and operated a proprietorship counseling business that is licensed through the City of Northport, Alabama. She has provided counseling in a variety of counseling capacities for clients presenting with mood disorders, personality disorders, physical/sexual trauma, childhood/adolescent delinquency, childhood/adolescent grief and loss, behavioral problems, identity issues, career decisions, depression, divorce recovery/prevention, anger management, anxiety/panic disorders, boundary issues, rape issues, alcoholism, abortion issues, bereavement groups, adult grief and loss, ADD/ADHD, communication skills, intimacy issues, low self-esteem, single parent and blended families, women's issues, racial issues, addictions and spiritual/religious issues. She has also worked in consultation and coordination with other professionals to find ways to address personal, professional and academic needs in the area of home health care. She has provided counseling at youth and individual homes for the Department of Human Resources in Tuscaloosa, and Fayette counties. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist for the Alabama Board of Examiners in Marriage and Family Counseling.