Meet LauraBeth DeHority

LauraBeth was born in Crittenden, Virginia, which later became the City of Suffolk. She attended Isle of Wight Academy. She received her BA from Mary Baldwin University and received her MA in Marital and Family Psychology from Western Seminary. LauraBeth continued her education at California Southern University where she attained her Doctor of Psychology.

After college, LauraBeth moved from Suffolk to Virginia Beach where she worked for Central Fidelity Bank. When she married, she and her husband moved to California where she worked thirty years at different jobs and to seek adventure.



LauraBeth retired from private practice as a Marriage and Family Therapist in August 2024.

While in high school, she worked at Coleman Nursery in Portsmouth. She enjoyed working with all the plants and helping customers with their questions. She grew up with a “largish” vegetable garden in Suffolk and had a small garden in San Jose. Later, she was drawn to gardening as she observed that her clients who were connected in some way to nature were thriving during COVID, while others were really struggling. She applied this concept to her own life by moving into a house with a yard, and found that her time in the yard, neighborhood, and urban parks was powerfully healing.

LauraBeth loved the classes, and both the challenge and the knowledge she gained. She preferred the in-person presentations more than the Zoom presentations. She loved the Hermitage and hopes to become more involved in that project in the future. She participated in community outreach at the zoo, the Elizabeth River Trail, and the Hermitage. To attain her required fifty hours, she worked at the zoo garden, Weyanoke Bird and Wildflower Sanctuary, the Fred Heutte Square Foot Garden, and the Eco Garden.