Laura

Ms Laura Gardner

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

“A warm, direct, and experienced holistic and EMDR psychotherapist who works with individuals and couples to help them have more choice in their lives.”

About Me

I offer a warm, direct, and experienced approach, guiding individuals and couples to uncover more choice in their lives. My holistic and EMDR approach helps you understand how past experiences might be limiting your present. Together, we can process difficulties, helping you respond differently and build a future with greater freedom. Clients seeking clarity and practical tools will find a safe, purposeful space to grow and gain new perspectives.

Approach

You’ll find I keep sessions steady and collaborative, blending somatic noticing with focused EMDR processing so past experiences lose their grip. In my Oakland office or online, we track relational patterns, attend to body sensations, and test new responses in-session with brief practices to try between meetings. I shift between depth-focused reflection and practical skill-building, matching pacing to your tolerance so change feels manageable. People seeking clearer choices and more presence in their relationships often find this way of working helpful.
Contact Laura

Ask a quick question or arrange a time to meet.

Basic Information

Services

Services Offered:

  • •
    Relationship Counseling

    Counselling for couples or partners focused on improving communication, rebuilding trust, and strengthening emotional connection.

  • •
    EMDR

    Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing, a therapy that uses guided eye movements to help the brain process and integrate traumatic memories.

    Learn more about EMDR
  • •
    Individual Therapy

    One-on-one therapy sessions between a client and a therapist, focused on that person's specific concerns and goals.

    Learn more about Individual Therapy
  • •
    Psychodynamic Therapy

    A therapy that explores how past experiences and unconscious patterns shape current feelings, relationships, and behaviour.

    Learn more about Psychodynamic Therapy
  • •
    Somatic Psychotherapy

    A form of therapy focused on the connection between mind and body, using body awareness and movement to release held tension, trauma, and emotion.

  • •
    Supervision

    Professional oversight for therapists and counsellors, providing guidance, ethical support, and reflective space for their clinical work.

    Learn more about Supervision
  • •
    Online Therapy

    Therapy sessions conducted over video call, phone, or secure messaging, using the same professional methods delivered remotely.

    Learn more about Online Therapy

Works With:

  • •Adults
  • •Couples
  • •Individuals

Area of Expertise

Scope of Practice:

  • •
    Abuse

    Emotional, physical, or sexual mistreatment by another person that causes lasting psychological harm and disrupts a person's sense of safety.

  • •
    Anxiety

    Persistent worry, nervousness, or fear that is disproportionate to the situation and interferes with daily functioning.

    Learn more about Anxiety
  • •
    Relationship Issues

    Difficulties in romantic relationships, including communication problems, trust breakdowns, conflict patterns, or uncertainty about the relationship's future.

    Learn more about Relationship Issues
  • •
    Relationship Counseling

    Counselling for couples or partners focused on improving communication, rebuilding trust, and strengthening emotional connection.

  • •
    Self-Esteem

    A person's overall sense of their own worth and value. When chronically low, it can drive self-doubt, avoidance, and difficulty in relationships.

    Learn more about Self-Esteem
  • •
    Trauma

    The lasting psychological impact of deeply distressing events, such as violence, abuse, accidents, or disasters, that overwhelm a person's ability to cope.

    Learn more about Trauma
  • •
    Trauma Therapy

    Therapeutic approaches specifically designed to help people process and recover from traumatic experiences.

    Learn more about Trauma Therapy

Professional Title:

  • •
    Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

    A therapist licensed to work with couples and families on relationship difficulties, communication, and family dynamics.

Qualifications

John F Kennedy University

EMDR International Association (EMDRIA)

Registrations

California Board of Behavioral Sciences

Marriage and Family Therapy

Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists

MFT

Service Area

Private Practice Office

In-person & Online

Oakland, California

United States