Laura Helquist

My name is Laura Helquist and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based in Southern California working with couples and individuals across the state of California and Utah. I am dual licensed in CA and UT. As a clinician I am passionate about hope. A sense of hope for improvement and hope for change. In the practice of therapy I have found that close, safe, and stable relationships are a core necessity for everyone regardless of their stage in life or what they may be facing. I am experienced in working with couples that may be struggling with connection, communication, betrayal, or simply supporting relationships to adapt and grow through the stages of life. In your relationship, there may be times where you feel that you are fighting too often or feel that nothing will change... but hope is not lost. It's never too late to learn how to create healthy connections with one another. When working with couples or individuals, I have experience working with complex PTSD, faith-transitions, interpersonal relationships, depression, anxiety, life transitions, self-compassion, and self-empowerment. As an LGBTQ+ Affirming clinician, I have experience working with individuals and couples from a variety of diverse gender and sexual identities. I work from an attachment lens, which means that I explore how early relationships and childhood may influence or shape an individual’s current experiences. I value the relationship between myself and the clients that I work with. It is always my goal to foster an atmosphere of safety and security so the individual can feel safe to explore themselves, painful experiences, and to help them grow and meet their fullest potential. Trainings and Experience: I obtained a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, and went on to obtain a Master of Science in Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy. I am formally trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), a psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experience I have completed an Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) externship, an EFT masterclass in working with affairs, EFT core skills training. EFT is a highly effective modality with extensive research to support couples and individuals in improving communication and developing a deeper sense of love, trust, intimacy, and safety. Additionally, I have advanced training in Internal Family Systems (IFS).