Therapy that welcomes all of you.

I work with individuals and couples who feel stuck, overwhelmed, or like something essential is missing — in their relationships, in their self-worth, or in their connection to themselves. You might not have the words for what’s wrong, but you can feel it. My role is to help you slow down, listen in, and gently untangle the deeper threads of what’s really going on. Therapy with me is warm, honest, and collaborative. This work is often tender, sometimes intense, occasionally funny — and always human.

A bit about me.

I was born and raised in Barcelona, and I spent my summers between the pine trees of the Costa Brava and the olive groves in the south of Spain. That sun-warmed and earthy landscape still lives in me. It’s shaped the way I show up in this work: with warmth, humour, directness, and a quiet belief in people’s capacity to grow and change. I’ve also lived in the Pacific Northwest for over a decade now, and its rain, depth, and forested stillness have softened and deepened me in equal measure.

Laura Avila About me

How I work.

My approach is grounded in somatic and relational therapies — primarily Internal Family Systems (IFS), nervous-system-informed work, and attachment theory. I also integrate feminist, decolonizing, and queer-affirming frameworks that honour complexity and lived experience. I offer a space where all parts of you are welcome — even (especially) the ones you’ve been told are too much, too confusing, or not enough. Together, we slow down, listen to your body’s signals, and invite the wisdom that already lives within you to speak.

how i work

Clients often say…

…that I bring a calm and steady presence. That I’m real — I’ll gently challenge when needed, and hold space for the messiness of being human. That our sessions feel both spacious and grounding. I don’t believe in fixing people. I believe in walking alongside you as you remember who you are.

Professional background.

  • Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC #19309) with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors

  • Master’s degree in Counselling from the City University of Seattle

  • Somatic Attachment Therapy
    The Embody Lab | 2023

  • Trauma Informed Practice Training: Level 2
    Trauma Informed Practice Institute | 2023

  • Trauma Informed Practice Training: Level 1
    Trauma Informed Practice Institute | 2023

  • Externship in Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples
    Vancouver Centre for Emotionally Focused Therapy | 2022

  • The Sexually Competent Therapist
    Allura Sex Therapy Centre | 2021

  • Dreams and Dream Interpretation
    The Adler Centre | 2021

Next steps.

If you’d like to connect further, there are a few simple ways to begin. You can book a free consultation to explore whether working together feels like a good fit. If you’d like to keep in touch with my writing and reflections, you can subscribe to my Substack. Or, if you’re curious to try some guided practices right away, I invite you to join my free 3-day mini course, which includes meditations and journaling prompts to help you begin your own healing journey.

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Free 3-Day Mini-Course.

Receive three short practices directly to your inbox — gentle meditations and journaling prompts to help you learn about Internal Family Systems Therapy, connect to your Inner Critic, and access your Inner Child.

By signing up, you’ll also join my email list. I only write occasionally, sharing reflections, resources, and updates. You can unsubscribe anytime.