- Stress reduction tools
- CBT and ACT methods
- Attachment and EFT focus
About Lara
Lara Shemali is a Washington LMHC with 29 years of professional experience. She works with stress, anxiety, relationships, trauma and abuse, self-esteem, and depression. Lara also helps people dealing with addiction and recovery challenges. She conducts sessions in English and accepts international clients.
In sessions she uses practical strategies to reduce stress and manage anxiety. She draws on cognitive behavioral techniques to address thought patterns and on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people clarify values and take meaningful steps. Emotionally-Focused Therapy informs her work on relationship patterns and attachment concerns.
Clients meet someone who listens without judgment and focuses on real-life problems. Sessions include talking through difficulties, practicing new skills, and planning small, manageable changes. She offers options for weekday appointments and may be amenable to evening or weekend hours when available.
Lara has worked with a wide range of issues beyond anxiety and depression. These include abandonment and attachment issues, avoidant personality patterns, body image, blended family concerns, chronic pain and illness, dissociation, and substance use difficulties. She also addresses communication problems, commitment fears, and the effects of domestic violence and divorce.
Her style is straightforward and goal-oriented while keeping conversations person-centered. People who reach out can expect to explore what matters to them and take concrete steps toward handling the problems that bring them to therapy.
How therapeutic approaches guide online work
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on identifying personal values and taking committed actions even when painful thoughts or feelings arise. It helps people who struggle with shame-driven avoidance or persistent self-criticism to notice inner experience and choose steps that matter to them. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and offers concrete exercises to shift unhelpful patterns. CBT can be useful for guilt tied to distorted thinking and for building skills to reduce anxiety.Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with clients to decide which methods fit their needs and goals. That means trying strategies, checking what helps, and adjusting the plan together rather than committing to one method up front.
The original biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm current online options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life by removing travel time, allowing shorter check-ins, and offering appointments outside standard business hours when those are available. It also lets people use video or phone in ways that match their comfort, bandwidth, and daily schedule while focusing on practical skills and emotional processing.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
29+ years
Listed in
Washington
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she address related to guilt or shame?
She works with anxiety, relationship struggles, trauma and issues that often involve guilt and shame such as addiction and relationship distress.
How does she approach feelings of guilt and shame?
She uses practical techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy alongside emotionally-focused approaches to explore feelings and help people take values-based steps.
How much experience does she have?
Lara has 29 years of professional experience working with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, and addiction recovery.
What credential and location does she hold?
She is an LMHC licensed in Washington and conducts practice rooted in that professional standing.
Can sessions be conducted in other languages or with international clients?
Sessions are offered in English and she accepts international clients.
What session formats are offered?
The original biography does not specify session formats; please confirm current session options before booking.
How is cost handled?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What are the first steps to get started?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.