Portland Therapy Center
Laura Wood

Laura Wood (she/her)

Licensed Professional Counselor

LMHC, LPC, CADC II

I'm licensed in Washington and Oregon and work with adults and teens. I approach this work with curiosity and want to understand your truth.

Client Status

waitlist

Contact

360-521-0484

9201 SE Foster Rd.

Portland, 97266

Email Website

At a Glance

Me

Rate: $130

Provides free initial consultation

Provides telehealth services

Practicing Since: 2015

Languages: English

Services

  • Individual
  • Teen

Insurances Accepted

  • Out of Pocket
  • Out of Network
  • Aetna
  • PacificSource
  • Premera
  • Regence Blue Cross/Blue Shield
Show More

My Ideal Client

You are doing the best you can with the cards you were dealt. I would be honored to work alongside you as you take on this healing journey. My goal is to create a space where you can show up unapologetically - all raw emotions welcomed. I work primarily with people who identify as sensitive and are experiencing anxiety, depression, life transitions, low self-esteem, and/or have a history of trauma.

My Approach to Helping

I utilize a relational and integrated approach in therapy, primarily drawing from the following therapies: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy; Motivational Interviewing; and Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR). I strongly believe that we are doing the best we can with the resources we have. We all have lived experiences that shape the way we engage with the world and people around us. Unfortunately, sometimes that means skewed perceptions, relational patterns, and coping mechanisms. By bringing attention to the experiences that have framed your worldview, together, we can explore healthier patterns of relating and coping. I strive to provide a supportive, collaborative environment to foster this growth. I am also committed to creating an inclusive and safe space for people from all cultural backgrounds and communities.

More About the People I Treat

I have had the privilege of working with diverse populations in outpatient community mental health, providing group and individual counseling to adults and adolescents with a range of mental health and substance use concerns. Through this work, I've learned that I work best from a lens of curiosity and collaboration. I help clients understand their internal experience with non-judgment.

Techniques I Use

Specialties

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) External link

    I have formal ACT training. I utilize this modality in order to help clients identify their values and help them better align their actions with these values, instead of getting swept away by avoidance behaviors or other emotion-driven actions.

  • Motivational Interviewing External link

    I have worked with clients who are mandated to treatment and those who find it difficult to make lasting changes. I find that this approach is most helpful in meeting people where they're at in their journey.

  • EMDR External link

    I am EMDR-trained and use this modality to help reprocess events that have had a lasting impact on someone's life.

Issues I Treat

Specialties

  • Panic External link

    Panic is extremely distressing. At times, it may feel like you can't possibly survive in your own skin. Although it may feel hopeless, we can help you develop skills to alleviate symptoms in the moment when panic is surfacing. I have experience educating clients on the brain activity involved with panic and teaching concrete self-regulation skills to manage acute stress symptoms.

  • Child or Adolescent Issues External link

    Research shows that our brains are not fully developed until age 25. This presents adolescents with challenges that many adults have trouble relating to and understanding. I have experience educating youth and families on the developing brain and working collaboratively with adolescents to help them make choices that will promote healthy brain development.

  • Codependency External link

    I approach codependency concerns by focusing on identifying unhealthy relationship patterns and helping set appropriate boundaries.

  • Early Recovery External link

    The first few weeks of sobriety can feel hopeless and overwhelming; this is a time when the intense emotions you previously numbed with substances flood in. Be kind to yourself and know that what you are feeling is normal. For the last several years, I have had helped clients slow down and hone self-regulation skills to avoid relapse.

  • Drug Dependence / Abuse / Addiction External link

    Being wrapped up in addiction can feel incredibly discouraging at times. However, there are tools you can use and lifestyle changes you can make to alleviate cravings and manage triggers. I am dual-credentialed as a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor II and have worked with clients with co-occurring mental health and substance use concerns helping them obtain sobriety.

Contact Laura

Optional note (300 character limit). Please do not include sensitive medical information.