Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Walton.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Laura. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My story started with my own tragedy. My dad committed suicide in 2001, and my then-boyfriend died of a heroin overdose in 2007. At the time, I was young and didn’t really know anything about death or grief, but I felt as though people didn’t really know how to deal with my grief. I often felt like there was something wrong with me, but I was actually just experiencing what I would later learn to be normal reactions to losing someone you love. I didn’t find a lot of support.
At the time, I had been practicing yoga for a few years and had already completed a yoga teacher training. I deepened my studies of yoga philosophy, and the change in perspective I learned through these studies changed everything for me. I learned how to incorporate the practice of being with the reality of any given situation. I learned how to live in the unbearably painful new world I had found myself in.
I continued to believe that there had to be a better way to support those who are grieving or who have survived some sort of traumatic event, so I eventually decided to go to grad school to become a therapist. I wanted to combine mental and physical practice for whole-body care and support. I completed my grad program in Marriage Family Therapy and then worked for about five years with families who were involved with Child Protective Services, and within substance abuse programs in the jails and prison systems. It’s a long road to become independently licensed as a therapist, and once I got my license, I decided it was time work for myself and open my own practice. In my practice now, I specialize in working with grief and trauma from a holistic, mind-body perspective.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I don’t know if there is any road worth taking that doesn’t have a few obstacles along the way. My obstacles have mainly been the personal ones of self-doubt, discouragement, and the like. I try to continue to take care of myself along the way and to remember the reason that I do this work.
The Phoenix Center for Grief and Trauma – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My practice, The Phoenix Center for Grief and Trauma, provides mental health therapy for adults, children, couples, and families. I specialize in and work primarily with people who are either grieving the death of a loved one or who are the survivors of a traumatic event. I provide individualized treatment plans that might include any combination of more traditional talk therapy, EMDR, and yoga, meditation, or mindfulness practices. I have a therapy dog named Biz who sometimes joins me at work to help people feel more comfortable. My office is also designed to be a grief support center, providing different resources on grief and the opportunity for people to memorialize their loved ones in different ways.
I am proud of where I came from – I was able to find tremendous personal growth from my own devastating experiences, and now I do my best to help others to find support, compassion, and love during some of the most trying times of their lives. I am also very proud of my clients who continuously show up and feel all of the hard emotions. I know that’s not easy.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I think success for me would be finding the perfect balance of taking care of myself and taking care of others. If I don’t have time to go to a yoga class or to spend time with my own family or friends, then I know I need to make some adjustments in my workload. On the other side of the coin, if I am not trying to do good for others, I don’t feel like I’m living to my full potential.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2546 E. Indian School Rd, Studio B, Phoenix, AZ 85016
- Website: https://thephoenixcenterforgriefandtrauma.com
- Phone: 480.828.5025
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: thephxcenter
Image Credit:
Jean Laninga Photography
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