Laura Scales

It is my sincere hope to bring genuine healing and wholeness to individuals, marriages and families. What is perhaps unique about me is that therapy is not my first career. I feel as though my other careers and life experiences have led me to this time in my life and my practice. I have learned first hand how unexpected life events can throw one off course and how going through change can be painful and yet transformational. In my previous careers, I chose occupations that enabled and empowered others. I cared for people with chronic illness and severe disabilities as a home health aide. I taught rock climbing, ice climbing, sea kayaking, swimming at various levels with a diverse clientele. I cared for the elderly and brought activities to improve the quality of life for residents of a senior living community. One of my greatest life achievements is climbing the highest point in the western hemisphere, Mt. Aconcagua elevation 22,837 ft. Up above the treeline, looking down on the clouds, far away from the civilized world is where I felt the most centered and at peace and the closest to my higher self. It is during my days as a climber and high altitude mountaineer that I learned how to be fully present in life if only for one moment at a time. It was in graduate school at Argosy University, on the Denver, Colorado campus that I realized how to continue to follow my passion: helping others build stronger sense of self and healthy relationships and families. After completing a masters program in Marriage and Family Therapy and practicum at West Springs Psychiatric Hospital, I worked in a community mental health outpatient clinic. As a licensed professional, I counseled as an intake, individual and group therapist. My knowledge and empathy has grown significantly while working with people of all ages and backgrounds, addressing a broad range of mental health issues. Today in my private practice, I strive to provide a safe nonjudgemental space for clients to share openly, explore problems and solutions and shed light on relationships, that are no longer desirable. I believe our mental health and personal well being are tied up in the quality of our personal relationships. The more closely we are connected to others, the happier we feel and the more personal satisfaction we have in our lives. I work with individuals, couples and families who want to change how they manage conflict, physical and mental health conditions, and stressful life adjustments. I have been trained in many evidence-based therapy modalities that help me to be effective in treating depression, anxiety, relationship and family issues, anger management and people who have experienced trauma. I believe in empowering clients, meaning that the client is the expert on their life and responsible and capable of making their own decisions. My approach to counseling involves evidenced-based practices to include Internal Family Systems Therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, solution focussed and strength-based practices tailored to fit each client’s uniques needs. When I am not practicing therapy I am enjoying spending as much time as possible in the natural world absorbing all of it’s many gifts.