Mandala Health - Naturopathy & Counselling Psychotherapy

Laura specialises in Trauma Therapy. She is expertly trained in the most contemporary and effective trauma-informed approaches, including: TRTP (The Richards Trauma Process), EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing - Shapiro), Active Imagination (Jung); Focusing (Gendlin); Hypnosis  (The Rick Collingwood Method) ; TFT (Thought Field Therapy) & Sandplay therapy. Laura competently and sensitively uses these interventions in the treatment of chronic stress and complex trauma & PTSD (i.e., from life-threatening events, injuries, accidents or abuse) and other sustained trauma-related issues, such as anxiety, depression, fears and phobias.

She understands how long term stress & trauma (i.e., carer exhaustion; violence, sexual abuse, emotional abuse/neglect; drug/alcohol misuse; personality disorders & other mental health issues) can impact victims, partners and family members in profound ways. Laura understands how unresolved stress, particularly involving family history and repeat childhood exposure to physical violence and abuse, emotional neglect, drug and alcohol misuse, personality disorders and other mental health issues can systemically and inter-generationally, impact individuals, families and communities in profound ways. Laura recognises the characteristic patterns of traumatised and other difficult personalities, as well as the signs and symptoms of PTSD and chronic complex trauma.

As a qualified Sandplay therapist, Laura competently applies this effective symbolic strategy, with adults and children, individually, & with couples. Sandplay immediately and concretely extends perception beyond superficial awareness and provides new visual perspectives about the inner and outer psychological factors influencing the problems at hand.

Laura is a qualified and experienced naturopath, nutritionist and herbal medicine practitioner. She extends her expertise beyond functional psychology to complementary alternative medicine (CAM), to specialise in the identification and recovery of complex and systemic affects of chronic stress and trauma. She applies functional biomedical testing with other therapeutic assessments with life-style and dietary advise, nutrition and herbal medicine treatments to support metabolism, bring balance to the central nervous system, restore tissue and organ function after physical illness, injury, infections, resolve inflammation and recover from physical, emotional or psycho-social burnout, exhaustion and trauma.

Laura has worked as an academic lecturer providing education and mentoring services to natural health practitioners at Endeavour College of Natural Health. She has taught Counselling Skills; Mental Health Assessment Processes, and Psychological First Aid to trainee practitioners.  She is a trained clinical supervisor and professional mentor for professional counsellors & psychotherapists. As an educational mentor, natural health practitioner and counselling psychotherapist, Laura conveys genuine interest, care and understanding of a broad range of the most common problems and challenges that people encounter in life. She is encouraging and supportive of clients, in their personal experiences of ill-health, through frustration and challenge, on their path toward physical, emotional, social & spiritual health and wellbeing.