Laura Todd, LPCC

Director of practice development / Therapist

I’m Laura and I’m so happy you’re here. I’m a licensed therapist with years of experience working with a variety of clients in a multitude of settings - with an emphasis on those predisposed to inequity, disenfranchised grief and/or complex traumas. I tailor my approach to the human in front of me - as opposed to more prescribed, cookie-cutter structure. My dynamic experiences, personally and professionally, allow for a unique, open-minded, and adaptive perspective that supports me in establishing a comfortable place for you to grow, be challenged, be seen, and heal.

I received my Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of San Diego and am a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) in the state of California. Prior to moving to California, I completed my Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Child Development at Texas Christian University where I was a research assistant in both the Memory-Cognition Neuropsych lab as well at the Social Psych lab. These experiences in research and lab work allow me to apply neurocognitive, abnormal, and social psychology data into sessions, communications, and application - in order to best serve my clients.

Relational

My top priority is connecting human-to-human, approaching those in front of me through a person-in-context, relational lens. I place value in exploring how a client’s lived experiences, histories, past environments, and culture contributes to the lens in which they access their emotions, world view, and behaviors. I am patient and emphasize trust-building - you don’t owe me your story until you feel ready to share it. I am not only willing to meet you in your discomfort, I’m going to sit in it with you. Your issues are not too big, too scary, too dramatic, or too ‘bad’ for me - if you’re going through it, the least I can do is listen. I’m comfortable with the uncomfortable conversations, and want nothing more than to reduce your shame and pain. 

INTEGRATIVE

I help facilitate healing using a blend of trauma-informed, culturally relevant practices alongside evidence-based interventions. I strongly believe that for true healing to occur, intentional space must be made for nuance, complexity, individuation; that healing between humans flourishes when integrating, collaborating, & tailoring practices to the the person (or people) sharing the space. I have found that a majority of healing lies within the gray area of what we have been taught to interpret as black or white, one versus another, all or nothing - that more often than not, it’s actually “both/and.” 

COLLABORATIVE

You will not be alone in your journey of understanding, you will not feel as though you are sharing space with a stranger. I am invested as a part of your process. Together, we will be collaborative & explorative. I may be an expert in the field, but YOU are the expert of YOU. As a team, we will work to build trust, make meaning, and stay curious of the dynamic experiences that make up life. I support finding areas to increase mental & emotional flexibility, unlearning and relearning messages around shame, motivation, and resilience, and facilitate a safe reprocess of past experiences contributing to present-day pain.