Laurie holds a bachelor's degree in occupational therapy from the University of Washington and a master's degree in psychology from Antioch University West with an emphasis on religion and spirituality. As an occupational therapist/mental health professional, she served community mental health centers. In 1987 she became a founding member and leader of the Gay, Lesbian and Affirming Disciples Alliance (now the Disciples LGBTQ+ Alliance). In 1988, following her ordination to ministry in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), she spent the bulk of her career as the pastor of Queen Anne Christian Church before retiring in 2017. Since 2015 she has co-facilitated Spring Sacred Arts Week at the Grünewald Guild, an arts-focused retreat center near Leavenworth, WA, where she also teaches art. She is a member of the Seattle Threshold Singers, a group dedicated to a cappella singing at the bedside of hospice patients.