Laura Nessler LCSW

Aside from “therapist,” the best descriptor for what I do is “relationship architect.” My client(s) and I co-create a relationship where they can explore and test out different ways showing up for themselves and others. A lot of my work with clients involves acknowledging and changing survival or coping mechanisms that no longer serve them. I strive to create a curious and compassionate space where this difficult work feels possible.
I enjoy working with folks in the LGBTQIA+ community, and am kink and poly affirming. Because all of us exist outside the context of a therapy office (or zoom room), I continually attune to how systems of oppression impact my clients’ lives and as well as my own perspective.
I work through an IFS (internal family systems, or parts work) and existentialist lens, and also incroporate DBT and ACT (dialectical behavior therapy/acceptance and commitment therapy) into my practice. You can expect our sessions to be rooted in warmth and conversation with an emphasis on meaning-making and tending to parts of yourself that you may have abandoned or neglected.
I am also certified in EMDR (eye movement desensitization) which is effective in treating traumatic stress. I have a special interest in working with folks that struggle with dissociation, complex trauma, and issues related to chronic illness and pain.