Lara Wolff (she/they)

The "I" cannot see itself. I believe the therapeutic relationship is of great value to help us not only feel supported but to truly see our own patterns in action. I have an eclectic approach, drawing from somatic psychology, polyvagal theory, Depth psychology, feminist theory, the contemplative wisdom of Buddhism and meditative practices, Gestalt, Internal Family Systems, and neuropsychology. I will complete a 2-year Jungian Psychotherapy Program at the C.G. Jung Institute of Chicago this year. I’m also trained in Level 1 Sensorimotor Psychotherapy for trauma. I graduated from Naropa University in mindfulness-based transpersonal counseling psychology, which can be defined in many ways but essentially means that I hold a non-pathologizing, present-moment centered, and often, experiential approach to my work, including utilizing practices such as dream work to connect to the wisdom of the unconscious. I practice active, deep listening as well as engaged relationship.

I believe we all possess intrinsic health – an internal source of wisdom that orients towards wellness – so we all have the ability to increase self-awareness and decrease maladaptive habitual patterns. I hold a humanist-existential perspective that acknowledges we all inevitably encounter difficulties in our lives, but how we work with them and make meaning is key. My own Buddhist practice and personal experience with Jungian therapy deeply inform my work, too. By getting curious about our experience and cultivating a relationship to our psyche, we can come to a deeper understanding of and gentler orientation towards ourselves, one with more kindness, self-compassion, and less judgment. I believe that when we do our inner work, the outer world and how we perceive it can shift. At the same time, I also believe we are living in unprecedented times, so making space to grieve and finding new ways of being in connection with ourselves, others, and our planet are essential.