Greg Kiper, CDP, LMHCA Chemical Dependency Professional and Licensed Mental Health Counselor
Laura J. Halford, CDP, LMHC Founder and Therapist
Laura, a Bellevue therapist, has worked since 1989 in counseling agencies in Seattle and inpatient treatment in Rancho Mirage, California at The Betty Ford Center. She began her work at Ryther Child Center in 1990 with adolescents and their families. While working at Ryther she learned of the importance of family involvement in all aspects of counseling. The lessons learned early on with teens and their families formed the basis for her belief that families are a vital resource needing inclusion in counseling and treatment.
Laura went on to work at Central Youth and Family Services conducting in home family counseling and adolescent counseling. Subsequently at Therapeutic Health Services she counseled and supervised people detoxing from methadone by facilitating mindfulness and meditation groups, counseled chronically mentally ill people and later developed a young adult treatment program at the Bellevue branch. She worked as a contract counselor for five years with Lake Washington Schools, before beginning a private practice in 2004. She became a volunteer therapist with The Soldiers Project drawing from her personal experience as a Navy Reserve Seabee. She founded Eastside Center For Family in 2011, a family based treatment and counseling clinic for all ages, with emphasis on family systems counseling to unify families by providing multiple counseling services under one roof.
Laura became an advocate of counselor wellness and trauma recovery after experiencing a debilitating case of counselor burnout that occurred after many years of personal volunteering and serving as a counselor to high needs individuals and families. The first twenty years of her work were all encompassing and filled with many wonderful experiences and learnings. In her personal counseling she began to learn about trauma effects including suicidality. She has since incorporated into the clinic philosophy a strong, committed and deep understanding of compassion and empathy in all counseling work.
Laura holds a Masters Degree in Applied Behavioral Science from Bastyr University-LIOS, a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts with an emphasis in psychology from Antioch University and a Certificate in Chemical Dependency Counseling from Edmonds Community College. She has extensive training and experience in the area of addictions and relapse prevention with adults, teens and families. She also specializes in nonviolent communication, grief and loss, effects of mental illness, trauma, mindfulness and codependency. She has completed levels one through three in Gottman Method Couples Therapy and plans to complete her certification in 2016. She is a member of Puget Sound Group Psychotherapy Network, National Addiction Professionals Association and Washington Mental Health Counselors Association.
Laura has a 13 year old son and is in a committed relationship. She and her lab puppy, Daisy Duke, are in pet therapy training preparing Daisy to work with clients one day a week. Laura enjoys being outside hiking, kayaking, and cycling. Yoga is her way of winding down and gives her pause to reflect and center.
