Master’s in Counseling Student Intern Laurel Guy
Child, Adolescent and Adult Therapy Intern
Our lives are woven from many stories—some we’ve chosen, some we’ve inherited, and some we’re still trying to understand. Often, we can feel pressure to hold all those stories (and everything else!) together all by ourselves, which can be lonely and overwhelming. Sharing our stories with another person creates space to look at those stories with compassion and curiosity. I have always loved stories. I love listening to the stories people hold and helping them understand and reframe them, and then supporting and empowering them in writing the next chapter.
My approach is eclectic and continually developing as I am continually learning but is anchored in a deeply humanistic foundation. I approach the therapeutic process with the assumption that you are the expert in your own story and I will trust your inherent wisdom! When working with clients, I seek to draw from Person-Centered and Existential approaches, Narrative therapy, and Internal Family Systems theory. I also deeply value the wisdom of the body and the stories the body tells. In our work together, we will practice recognizing and listening to somatic cues and the stories they tell.
Most of my clinical experience has been with older adolescents and adults, with a strong focus in trauma, anxiety, eating disorders—especially restrictive types—and religious trauma or spiritual abuse. A lot of my M.A. research has centered around restrictive eating disorders and religious trauma, so those areas are particularly meaningful to me both clinically and academically. I also approach this work as a committed LGBTQIA+ ally.
Treatment focus: Trauma, Anxiety, Grief, Relationships, Eating Disorders, Self-Discovery, LGBT+ ally
Favorite Quote: "Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting – over and over announcing your place in the family of things.”
― Mary Oliver, "Wild Geese"
Recommended Resources:
Holy Hurt: Understanding Spiritual Trauma and the Process of Healing by Hillary L. McBride
Holy Hurt Podcast by Hillary McBride
Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone by Brené Brown
Food Psych Podcast with Christy Harrison, MPH, RD, CEDS
The Wisdom of Your Body: Finding Healing, Wholeness, and Connection Through Embodied Living by Hillary L. McBride