Hello, Nice to Meet You!

Dr. Laurel earned a dual-title Ph.D. in Social Work (Clinical Concentration) and Infant Mental Health. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Certified Perinatal Mental Health therapist (PMH-C) and has a private practice in Denver, CO. She is licensed in Colorado, Michigan and Indiana and can offer online therapy in all locations. She is EMDR certified, trained in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy, Somatic Therapy, DBT skills, Interpersonal Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, CBT, trauma-informed yoga therapy and integrates mind-body approaches into treatment with her clients. She also offers prenatal yoga, prenatal yoga teacher trainings and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction classes.

We all deserve healing.

Dr. Laurel has been extensively trained and specializes in perinatal depression, anxiety, trauma (including birth trauma), and stress. She believes in the unique and powerful combination of evidence-based science with esoteric healing modalities such as yoga, meditation, reiki, and energy healing. Her passion in these areas led her to build not only a career in research and academics, but a therapy practice that blends science with mystery for a holistic approach to healing.

Dr. Laurel is Research Faculty at the University of Colorado Boulder at the Renée Crown Wellness Institute, and Adjunct Faculty at the University of Denver in the Social Work Department and the School of Professional Psychology. Her research focuses largely on developing and testing effectiveness of clinical interventions to improve wellness in people who have experienced stress, anxiety, depression and trauma, with a heavy focus on people in the perinatal period. Her work is deeply grounded in community and advocacy and frequently aims to back state and federal policies that support mental wellness.

Training Background

While in her PhD at Wayne State, Dr. Laurel was chosen to be a Predoctoral Fellow within the Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Lifespan Development. During this time she was trained in perinatal and infant mental health, including dyadic, psychodynamic, attachment-focused, cognitive behavioral, relational and trauma-informed therapies. Additionally, she was trained in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy by Zindel Segal, PhD and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for both adults and youth.

During her postdoctoral fellowship at University of Denver’s Department of Psychology she was trained in Interpersonal Therapy for Perinatal Populations by the late Nancy Grote, PhD. She then received further training in Mindfulness-Based Interventions, Behavioral Activation and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) Skills from Sona Dimidjian, PhD. She has completed Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) basic and advanced training, and is certified in EMDR through EMDRIA.

Aside from academic and clinical training, Dr. Laurel has taught yoga and meditation since 2007, is a Reiki Master, esoteric healer, nature lover and is initiated as an Alchemist and Priestess in a Mystery School. She believes in the healing power of nature and community. You will find Dr. Laurel both in the academic settings, as well as leading moon circles, seasonal rituals, and supports plant medicine retreats. She spends her free time tending her medicinal herb garden and foraging in the foothills of Colorado. She loves to create herbal healing potions from her harvests and feels a deep connection to the wisdom of Mother Earth.

Healing. Ritual.
Community. intuition.

ABOUT “THE MYSTERY”.

You may be wondering what “the mystery” is all about, and you’re not alone. This life’s journey is unique to each individual. But in my experience, life unfolds in a magical way when we can open up to the possibilities that lay in the liminal spaces. That doesn’t mean there are no challenges… quite the contrary, actually. Examining and befriending all aspects of life, including the shadow parts of ourselves, is infinitely transformative. I practice opening up to the magic of life everyday and, with it, have found great healing and growth. Your medicine lives within you and I would love to walk alongside you as you ignite this magic. I believe this is not only through tending to ourselves, but also by honoring the land we are on and all it provides – by connecting with others in a sacred and compassionate way,