Lara Shemali, LMHC

Lara Shemali is a licensed mental health counselor with 29 years of experience based in Washington. She focuses on helping people manage stress, reduce anxiety, and improve relationships. She also supports people working through trauma, abuse, depression, and challenges with self-esteem and motivation.

Lara takes a straightforward, person-focused approach in sessions. She listens without judgment and helps clients notice and change everyday thoughts and habits that get in the way. Conversations are practical and aimed at small, doable shifts that make life feel more manageable.

Her background includes long-term clinical work supporting recovery from substance use and other addictions. She has experience with communication problems, commitment or attachment concerns, and issues tied to body image, chronic pain, and blended family dynamics. Lara also addresses less common presentations such as dissociation, disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, and experiences related to kink and alternative sexual cultures.

In therapy she blends techniques that help people notice patterns, try new behaviors, and build emotional awareness. She offers flexible scheduling and is willing to consider evening and weekend times when available. Clients are invited to set goals at a pace that fits their life.

Getting started involves a simple sign-up and matching process followed by scheduling. Lara emphasizes practical tools and steady progress, helping people translate insights into everyday changes in thought and habit.

How Lara's Approaches Guide Online Work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on noticing thoughts and choosing actions that match your values rather than getting stuck in worry or avoidance. It can help with anxiety, depression, and life transitions by teaching small, steady steps toward what matters. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and uses practical exercises to try different responses to old habits and patterns. It works well for stress, anxiety, and low mood. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes a respectful, nonjudgmental conversation where the therapist follows the client's lead and helps them build confidence and clarity about their goals.

Finding the right mix of these approaches is part of therapy. Lara will work collaboratively to decide what to try based on the client's needs, goals, and preferences. That might mean trying ACT tools for acceptance work, using CBT exercises to shift daily habits, or leaning into client-centered conversation to strengthen self-esteem.

The profile does not list which remote session formats are offered, so confirm current options before booking. In general, online therapy can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy week, reduce travel time, and let clients use shorter check-ins when needed. It also allows continuing care if someone is relocating or managing a complicated schedule. Licensed professionals can adapt exercises and homework assignments so progress happens between sessions and during everyday life.