Laura is a grief counselor and Manager of Psychosocial Services at Hospicare, Ithaca. In contrast to what many people think, this job involves as much laughter as it does tears. One grieves the death of a loved one in direct proportion to all the love, joy, and memories they have shared. She believes relationships to be the most beautiful part of life and sees it as an honor to hear about these things daily. In addition, there is nothing more life affirming than witnessing the resilience of people as they navigate significant loss. In the management part of her job, she also supports other clinicians who provide spiritual, emotional, and procedural support to patients and families both during and after the dying process. In addition, Laura is the Youth Coordinator at a local inclusive church. Laura’s other interests include spending time with friends and family, hiking, sailing, dancing, gaming, or sharing stories around the fire.  She is an avid runner, yogi and personal growth enthusiast.  As part of her quest to continually evolve, she enjoys reading books and listening to podcasts that stretch her mind and perspective. During the pandemic, she started writing poetry and is proud to have one of her poems published in “Love is for All of Us”, a 2025 anthology edited by James Crews and Brad Peacock.

Laura’s wife, Amy, is a nurse practitioner in radiation oncology at Cayuga Medical Center, and they have triplet daughters who are all freshman at different colleges, in different states. They also have two cats and a Corgi who are keeping them company in their absence.  Ask them about the best hikes in Ithaca, talk games (sports, board, yard or cards), or to tell them more about you.