My name is Laura Jesmer, and my passion is helping others on their healing journeys.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Arizona (License # LCSW -3532). I earned my Bachelor of Science and Master of Social work from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I became interested in working with trauma survivors early in my training. My undergraduate and graduate school internships were at a domestic violence shelter and at a Rape Crisis center. As trauma recovery research evolved, I became interested in body based, "bottom up" therapy approaches that tend to the nervous system and how trauma is stored throughout the body. This led me to becoming a certified EMDR therapist, which supports the brain and body's natural healing process.

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Internal Family Systems (IFS) has become my overarching approach and really my paradigm for living. It has been life changing for me and for many of my clients. It is a gentle, non-pathologizing approach, that helps us reconnect to the wisdom and compassion we were born with. IFS, developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz, understands that we are all made up of many parts who have valuable qualities that can become stymied due to stressful life experiences. IFS helps us connect to our inner wisdom, our true Self, allowing for our parts to release whatever they may have been burdened with and have more spaciousness for freedom, joy, connection, and creativity.

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Outside of the therapy room, I love spending time with my wife, family, and fur baby. A few of my happy places are being outdoors hiking in the AZ high country, curled up on the couch with a good book, and mornings with my cup of coffee.