Laura Walton, MAS-MFT, LMFT – Mental and Emotional Health Therapist and Phoenix Center for Grief and Trauma Director

I believe avoidance limits and experience expands.

Confused?

What I mean by this is; I believe there are a million and one ways we can find to distract ourselves.

I believe many of us have experienced traumatic things in our lives.

I believe it can be so easy for us, or our loved ones, to try to distract us from situations that feel painful and uncomfortable, and that these distractions can lead to habits that can permeate all areas of our lives and result in us living lives that feel dull, limited, or uninspiring.

I believe if we are allowed to feel all of our feelings and to be supported in being present with each moment of our lives, that our lives can feel richer, more fulfilling, and more expansive.

I know what it is like to avoid. I tried HARD to avoid the pain of a traumatic childhood, my dad’s suicide, and my then-boyfriend’s drug overdose. Facing these realities seemed too painful and overwhelming, and I tried many different methods of avoidance. None of them worked. It wasn’t until I tried facing the reality of the situation that I truly felt some relief. The practice of being present with the pain and the discomfort changed my life.

Maybe someone who’s very important to you has died or is dying. Maybe you are the survivor of a traumatic event. Maybe you’ve been avoiding to some degree or another for so long that you’re not sure how to do any different.

Life feels flat.

It doesn’t have to.

I am a grief and trauma therapist.  I am also a bereaved sister, daughter, and girlfriend.

I work with people who have survived a traumatic event. I provide a space for trauma to be seen and to be held.  I support people in living their grief fully and honestly.  I help people learn how to adapt to their losses.  I help people learn how to reduce unnecessary suffering.  I provide the opportunity for survivors to create their own path. The process of experiencing life by experiencing the span of emotions can help to free survivors to be present in their life in new ways.

I specialize in traumatic grief and trauma therapy and provide a holistic approach to treatment.  By this I mean that I believe the mind and body are deeply connected and both must be involved in healing.  I specialize in grief and trauma therapy using holistic, systemic, person-centered, and mindfulness-based practices. I have training in and may utilize elements from the following counseling theories:

Cacciatore’s ATTEND Model
Brainspotting
Trauma Informed Care
Mindfulness
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
EMD RTEP (Recent Traumatic Event Protocol)
EMD GTEP (Group Traumatic Event Protocol)
Attachment Based
Prepare/Enrich
Trauma Focused CBT
Infant/Toddler Mental Health
Nutrition for Mental Health
Somatic Therapy
Motivational Interviewing
Family Systems Theories
Gottman Method Level 1
Gottman Method Trauma and Affairs
Heartmath
EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy)

License and Certifications

• Licensed Marriage Family Therapist (LMFT-15249) in the state of Arizona
• Approved Clinical Supervisor through the Arizona Board of  Behavioral Health Examiners
• Certified as a Compassionate Bereavement Care Provider and Compassionate Bereavement Yoga Provider through the Center for Loss and Trauma in partnership with the MISS Foundation and the Elisabeth Kubler-Ross Family Trust
• Certified Clinical Trauma Professional and Certified Child and Adolescent Trauma Professional through the International Association of Trauma Professionals
• EMDR Trained Therapist through EMDR Institute
• MBSR Trained Facilitator through the UCSD Center for Mindfulness
• Certified Prepare-Enrich Facilitator
• Certified Heartmath Practitioner
• Certified Yoga Instructor-1000