LAURA WAKEFIELD

My name is Laura Wakefield and as an attachment-oriented Licensed Professional Counselor with training in IFS and Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, I specialize in working with individuals struggling with high-functioning anxiety and couples who are stuck in cycles of miscommunication. For many of us, the battle with anxiety is a silent, unseen fight. Others may not notice it, and often individuals suffering in this way are incredibly high-functioning and capable friends, spouses, and employees. Many of the individuals I work with have a haunting sense of "imposter syndrome" in the workplace and within their relationships, feeling incompetent and insecure regardless of what they have achieved. In sessions with individuals, I assist clients in honoring and understanding their hurts and fears, while developing a capacity to respond in new and effective ways to these struggles. In order to understand these struggles, I help clients in seeing how pains such as neglect, unsupportive family environments, and other life-circumstances have impacted their thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about themselves and others. Rooted in the research surrounding attachment theory, my approach to couples is centered on helping them change negative patterns of interaction by exploring underlying emotions and attachment needs. In sessions with couples, I work to help couples have focused and facilitated conversation so they can learn to communicate these emotions and needs more effectively and in doing so, deepen emotional connection and intimacy. When working with couples, I utilize the therapy modality of Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy while integrating interventions and tools from other modalities such as Gottman therapy and Prepare & Enrich.