Lara Clayton
she/her
About
Lara
Hello there! I am Lara and I value the therapeutic relationship and strive to foster trust, open communication, honesty, and collaboration in the work we will embark on together. I believe you are the expert in your own life and I have a warm, practical, and non-judgmental attitude as we set a course for your healing and growth. Building a solid working relationship is crucial to challenge patterns that are no longer effective and finding new ways to be, in order to build the life you envision. I have an integrated approach that includes psychodynamic therapy with practical coping skills training and strategies, to enhance self-awareness, healing, growth, and meaning-making.
I love being outdoors and connecting with friends and family. I am a lifelong learner and enjoy exploring anything that captures my interest and broadens my perspective. I always have a house project in the works and appreciate the satisfaction of completion. To relax, I meditate, play with my pups, hike, garden, and read.
Lara
treats clients with
Stress
Depression
Anxiety
Substance Use
Cultural or Racial Identity
Childhood Challenges
Gender Identity
Grief and Loss
Physical Health
Anger
Postpartum Mood Disorders
Autism
Borderline Personality Disorder
Relationship Difficulties
Sex/Intimacy
Life Transitions
Trauma and PTSD
Communities
Lara
specializes in
Religion
Spirituality
Women's Issues
Men's Issues
LGBTQIA+ Affirming
Older Adults
Immigrants/Refugees
Veterans
Approaches
Lara
can use
Acceptance and Commitment (ACT)
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Dialectical Behavioral (DBT)
Mindfulness
Motivational Interviewing
Schema Therapy
Solution-Focused Therapy
Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT)
Smoking Cessation
Humanistic/Transpersonal
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Psychoanalytic
Psychodynamic
Abstinence-Only Models of Recovery
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Panic
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Social Phobia
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
Harm Reduction for Substance Use Disorders
Interpersonal Therapy for Depression (IPT)
Lara
education and experience
- Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from California State University Monterey Bay
- Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology (emphasis in Depth Psychology) from Pacifica Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara
Lara
license information