Lara Shemali , LMHC

Lara Shemali is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) with 29 years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, and relationship struggles. She focuses on practical tools that support recovery from addiction, build confidence, and reduce everyday overwhelm. Lara works with people dealing with trauma and abuse and addresses a range of personal and professional concerns.

She aims to make sessions straightforward and down-to-earth. Lara listens first and helps people name what matters most to them. She then offers concrete skills for coping with anxiety, improving communication, and managing mood shifts.

Her background includes long-term clinical practice in Washington and many years supporting people through substance use challenges and recovery. That experience informs how she helps clients set realistic goals and track progress over time.

Lara uses a mix of approaches to match each person’s needs. She draws on acceptance and commitment ideas to clarify values, cognitive behavioral techniques to change unhelpful thoughts, and emotionally-focused methods to improve connection in relationships.

She is mindful of busy schedules and offers weekday hours plus occasional evenings and weekends when possible. Lara encourages people to take the first step and says starting therapy is a sign of courage and commitment to change.

Therapeutic approaches for online care

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) encourages people to clarify what matters to them and take small steps toward those values even with difficult thoughts or feelings. It can help with anxiety, low motivation, and decision-making. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on spotting unhelpful thinking patterns and testing new behaviors to reduce symptoms like worry and low mood. That approach is useful for anxiety, depression, and stress management. Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) helps people identify and express important emotions to improve connections in relationships and reduce recurring conflicts.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what feels most useful. That collaborative process makes it easier to try one method and adjust over time if needed.

Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different needs. Video sessions allow fuller face-to-face conversation, phone sessions can work when bandwidth is limited, and text or chat formats support brief check-ins or ongoing written reflection. These options make it easier to fit therapy around work, family, and travel while keeping continuity of care.