Find a Therapist in La Center, WA

My approach to helping people is rooted in warmth, empathy, and a deep commitment to personal growth, shaped by both my family life and nearly two decades as a licensed marriage and family therapist. Drawing inspiration from my loved ones, the arts, and nature, I strive to create a nurturing and safe environment where clients can heal and build resilience. I specialize in attachment and relationship-focused therapy, utilizing evidence-based modalities and the PACE model (playfulness, acceptance, curiosity, empathy), as well as integrating innovative practices like psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. My collaborative style empowers individuals to overcome trauma, grief, anxiety, and relationship challenges, honoring each client’s unique strengths and journey. I am dedicated to supporting you with compassion and positivity as you embark on your path toward healing and transformation.

The primary focus of my practice is on relationships. The health of your relationship to yourself, partner, friends, and community are key factors in overall wellbeing. The desire for a partner or to have a child when they prove elusive can be a painful and frustrating spot to sit in. I empower clients to face these and other challenges and forge a path forward.

You may be someone who feels deeply and reflects carefully about the world around you. On the outside, you may appear capable and composed while internally feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or stuck in survival mode. Many of my clients identify as highly sensitive, emotionally perceptive, or "deep feelers" seeking a trauma-informed therapy experience that honors depth, reflection, nervous system awareness, and authentic connection. Maybe you've been carrying something for a long time—grief that hasn't fully moved, emotional pain that still catches in your chest, or a quiet sense of being "too much" or "not enough," depending on the day. You may have tried to think your way through it, talk it out, or push it down—but your body still remembers. I'm Laurel, and I work with deep feelers, survivors, and sensitive, introspective adults who want to better understand themselves and the patterns they've learned to carry. In our work together, we'll slow things down and become curious about what's happening beneath the surface—your emotions, nervous system responses, relationships, and protective patterns. My approach is integrative, trauma-informed, somatic, and relational. Rather than asking you to push past your responses, we'll listen to them. Together, we'll explore how your experiences have shaped your internal landscape and create space for greater self-understanding, connection, and trust in yourself. For clients who are drawn to spirituality or intuition, there is also space to explore these experiences with curiosity, discernment, and care. If you're navigating trauma, grief, relationship challenges, anxiety, burnout, or major life transitions—and are looking for something deeper than traditional talk therapy—I invite you to reach out. I provide virtual therapy for adults throughout California and Washington.

There is a way to find acceptance within yourself and from the people around you. There is a way to effectively manage your thoughts, feelings, and actions, and to believe in yourself again. I know there is a way because I have seen my clients achieve these goals in therapy, and I have experienced it myself. I have over a decade of experience treating individuals with intense emotion dysregulation. I work with people struggling with suicidal ideation, rapid mood swings, panic attacks, social isolation, identity disturbances, uncontrollable anger, or other extreme reactions, so they can regain control over their lives, repair their relationships, and reconnect with the world. You don't have to suffer alone.

NOTE: OREGON ONLY. TELETHERAPY ONLY. See website for more details. --- For many of us that carry memories of disconnection in childhood, the feeling of genuine connection seems elusive or even impossible. We yearn for it and defend against it. In session, we get a chance to get to know these conflicting parts of Self. We get an opportunity, in our own shifting therapeutic relationship, to focus on the present moment, trusting that the ways we organize this moment will lead us back to formative moments and to core beliefs. We cannot change the past. We can change the beliefs that formed during times of trauma. Memories need not carry their emotional charge if we can feel and sense them from a safe place, from a place of connection. We focus on the body, because this is where the experience of life happens. For many, when we felt disconnected from others, we also disconnected from ourselves. We internalized the disconnection. When we change the experience of the body, when we feel (sometimes for the first time) a real sense of safety at a physical level, our entire nervous system changes. We start making connections at an internal level. Our perception of the world changes. And many come to an awareness that external connections echo the internal: the more we integrate inside, the more connections we find-create-allow out in the world.

Michael Hafner, Professional Counselor Associate. Marriage, Family, and Adolescent Counseling Mike has a Master of Arts in counseling from Western Seminary. He also holds a Master of Divinity graduate degree from Multnomah University, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in theological studies. Mike has completed Level 2 of the Gottman Method couples therapy. Mike has spent over a decade serving as a youth pastor in the local church context, providing discipleship and leadership skills to youth and their families. He has also spent time working in both inpatient and outpatient community mental health settings for adolescents, where he has helped teenagers struggling with a variety of mental health concerns. He believes all people are capable of change and growth. His aim is to come alongside the client(s) in their journey and help them navigate the areas of life where they are seeking change. Mike has also been trained in family systems therapy and seeks to help families thrive in their relational dynamics. Mike has been married since 2012, and they have three daughters. In his free time, he enjoys lifting weights, spending time with friends and family, and drinking coffee.

I am the director of MacPherson Pacific Counseling Services, a dynamic new option in the treatment of chemical dependency, problem gambling, and sex addiction in the Seattle area. Your experience will be individualized and goal-focused. You will develop the tools to reclaim your life from addiction and compulsive behavior and begin to develop a path towards healing and wholeness for both yourself and your support network of family and loved ones. In both individual sessions and groups with others also walking the healing path you will challenge yourself, access reservoirs of strength within yourself, learn to connect, and you will grow.

Need some relief? I am passionate about working with couples and individuals and I can help you attain positive change. I believe that you can achieve personal health and well-being. This is accomplished by providing a safe, confidential, non-judgmental, environment for you to explore and learn; we will collaborate to create goals and positive changes that incorporate your values and beliefs. This process involves me listening, encouraging, and supporting you. Contact me today! Some things that set me apart from other therapists are my approachability, neutrality, sense of humor, and motivation. People find it very easy to talk with me, couples appreciate that I do not choose sides when working together, I do not take myself too seriously, and my desire to incorporate the most current counseling practices and skills into my therapeutic work is reflected in my attaining a Ph.D. in Counseling.

My clients often feel overwhelmed by anxiety, depression, or relationship issues. They seek a path to clarity and balance. They need a compassionate space to explore their emotions and uncover the root causes of their distress. Their goal is to gain self-awareness, develop healthier coping strategies, and achieve personal growth. They want to transform their lives and find lasting fulfillment. Together, we can work towards understanding their inner world and making meaningful, positive changes. In my work, I help clients uncover unconscious patterns driving their distress. I offer a compassionate, supportive space for exploring emotions and developing healthier coping strategies. I understand how difficult it can be to seek help. You deserve a safe, compassionate space to explore your concerns and find solutions. Let's work together to foster growth and healing. I invite you to take the first step towards a brighter future. Reach out for a free consultation today. You don't have to face this alone.

Life brings moments of anxiety, sadness, anger, and grief — experiences that can leave you feeling unsteady or unsure of yourself. I don’t view these emotions as signs that something is wrong with you. Instead, I see them as part of being human and as meaningful openings to understand yourself more deeply. In our work, we slow down, meet your experience with gentleness, and explore it with mindfulness, compassion, and curiosity. I support adults in midlife and beyond who want a healthier, more grounded relationship with their emotions and who feel drawn to exploring meaning through Buddhist‑informed perspectives. My approach is also shaped by Gestalt Therapy, which emphasizes present‑moment awareness, authentic contact, and understanding how your patterns of thinking, feeling, and relating show up in the here and now. Together, we look at the emotional and cognitive habits that may be keeping you stuck. Rather than trying to “fix” who you are, we focus on cultivating steadier, more productive ways of thinking while deepening your capacity to relate to your emotions with compassion and clarity. This process can help you feel more connected to yourself, more grounded in your choices, and more able to navigate life’s transitions with intention. Therapy with me is collaborative and shaped by your goals, honoring your lived experience and the unique ways you’ve learned to move through the world. I walk alongside you as you make sense of what life has brought you and cultivate a more spacious, steady way of being. If this approach resonates, I welcome you to reach out.