Laura Shay

     Hello, my name is Laura Shay (she/her) and I am a Registered Counselling Therapist (Candidate) with the Nova Scotia College of Counselling Therapists.

     Life can be challenging and sometimes it can be hard to know the steps we need to take to better understand ourselves and live the life we want to live. I work from the perspective that being a human is hard and that we all face struggles throughout our life. While these challenges may be unavoidable, therapy can provide a place to feel seen and help shift your perspective. Working collaboratively with you in the spirit of nonjudgment and support, I will help you discover more about yourself, connect with your feelings, and discover meaning from your experiences.

     I work with individual teens and adults as well as couples. I enjoy working with people from diverse backgrounds, cultures, identities, and lived experiences. My areas of interest include anxiety, self-worth, shame, grief, trauma, existential concerns, chronic illness, identity issues, gender/sexuality, and relationship concerns. I am trained in Gottman couples therapy and emotion focused therapy and I’m currently training to be Internal Family Systems-informed. I use a variety of other modalities including narrative therapy, compassion-focused therapy (CFT), emotion-focused therapy (EFT), and mindfulness-based approaches. Every client is different, and I tailor my approach to your unique, individual needs.

     In my personal life, I like to spend time with my partner and our cat, Loki. I enjoy reading, spending time outside, music, painting, and doing long-distance rides on my bike.

     Reaching out for help and opening up can be frightening and I hope that I can provide a safe place to share and help you find your way to the right path for you.

Look forward to working with you!

Laura