About Laura Thomas, Ph.D.
I am a licensed psychologist in California. I received my doctorate from Michigan State University in 1985. I then moved to California to acquire experience and sit for the State Exams in Clinical Psychology.
In the past, I have worked for county mental health in outpatient adult services, including serving an inmate population. I have also worked in industrial medicine and acute care hospitals as well as psychiatric hospitals, consulting regularly. Currently, my private practice is with an outpatient population of teens, adults, and seniors across a wide variety of settings and life challenges.
I have experience treating a variety of issues, including anxiety disorders, depression, trauma, life transitions, chronic illness and disease, ADHD, behavioral problems in children, addictions, and grief and loss. I also work with the LBGT community.
Additionally, I am a sports psychologist with experience assisting athletes to perform optimally. I frequently work with artists who are feeling creatively blocked in their art form. I also consult with businesses, particularly around instances of trauma in the workplace.
Therapeutic Approach
Sometimes, I am asked about my approach to therapy. My answer is this: I intend to assist you, my client, in any way that I can be helpful, to further your journey, lessen your struggle, add to your coping skills, and increase your peace of mind and the quality of your life and relationships. Towards that end, I will assist you with all the skills and knowledge available to me. Incorporating a blend of conventional and alternative approaches I will help you build on your strengths and identify and achieve your goals.
I utilize psychodynamic and practical, skills-based approaches, including cognitive-behavioral methods. This means that I try to help you understand how your past and unconscious experiences affect you in the present. We address the present by examining your thoughts and perceptions while striving to improve your coping skills and providing you with alternative strategies for dealing with the issues that caused you initially to come to therapy. I provide support and practical feedback to assist you in resolving current problems and to change long-standing patterns.
I prefer a collaborative approach to therapy, and thus, I value and respect your input as to what you want from your therapy. I hope to challenge you as you challenge yourself to grow past your limitations, your pain, and your suffering.
Contact Laura Thomas, Ph.D. to schedule your appointment. I provide a personalized approach to therapy for clients in Thousand Oaks, California.
