Lara Just

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If you are going through these profiles here, you are probably wondering who on Earth may be the right person for you. Maybe you are experiencing quite specific difficulties in your life right now, or maybe you are not sure what it is exactly you are here for. What makes good therapy different?

Have a look if any of this speaks to you, I also list some videos and more photos at the end. The first session is free of charge. Get in touch to see if we can work together and let’s take it from there?

Nature and Outdoor Therapy: Working therapeutically outdoors and including nature into online therapy. I have found that Nature can help us, wherever we live:

• It can calm us, ground us and helps build resilience.
• When we move forward -  it is literally and symbolically.
• It can feel easier to talk about something difficult.
• If we pay attention, nature shows up metaphors that can give us useful insights for the therapy process.
• This is particularly useful for people in transition, grief, life crisis, relationship difficulties or feeling stuck.
• Research has shown improvements in depression, anxiety, mood and self-esteem, wellbeing, amongst many other issues.

Family Trauma: One of my special interests is working with daughters (and sons) of a narcissistic or borderline parent or a parent with BPD or NPD traits.

LGBTQ+: I support a variety of age groups in relationship, sexuality and gender diversity queries. I am openly part of the LGBTQ+ community.

Therapeutic Creative Mindfulness Workshops: I run workshops online and in person. These currently offer mindfulness-based strategies, including meditation, writing, walking and creative art practices. This can support grief and change processes, when we are feeling sad or stuck, and provides connection to community.

Who I Work With

You may be in a life transition, grief/loss, question your life purpose, or feel your relationships with partners, friends or family are difficult.

I specialise in relationship issues, life purpose, grief/loss, trauma, and LGBT+ matters for adults and adolescents.

If you are ready to take steps towards learning more about yourself and finding new or different ways to achieve your goals, I may be able to help.

I offer a safe, unbiased space to talk that is removed from your direct family and friends. This freedom to speak openly can be helpful when trying to talk through tricky and uncomfortable feelings.

Talking things through with a trained therapist can really make a difference. It can provide different perspectives previously hidden from view and help you uncover solutions that are right for you.

I understand how it can feel to be in these tricky, even dark places, and how hard it is at times to get out of them. It can also feel really difficult to reach out for help.

How I Work

My experience working outdoors and online expands to working ‘online’ outdoors in nature. I have spent much of my early career as a psychotherapist in the usual clinic and city settings. After having lived in South Africa and spent more time working therapeutically outdoors with people and animals, I have found it more effective to include nature and the outdoors into the therapy programmes.

For the last 2 years I have worked outdoors with clients on Hampstead Heath, North London. I work from Somerset (between Bath and Glastonbury locations). I offer "Walk & Talk" or "Walk & Phone" sessions, depending on if you are locally or live further afield.

I utilise the outdoors (nature) as well as the body and movement (and animal assistance).

This can be done even within the online therapy process. It can reduce screen and ‘chair’-time that can keep us stuck and helps us literally and metaphorically ‘moving’ forward. I have found that this can enhance effectiveness and the online therapy experience even further.

I work in a respectful and non-judgemental way to explore this with you. As our work progresses you will find more clarity about ways forward that are best for you.

Formats of Working

• Video (Zoom) or Face-to-face (if locally)
• Audio (Mobile/Cellular or Data, e.g. Zoom with video turned off)
• Instant / Live chat (Zoom)
• Email

We can discuss this more in details how each format works in the first session. You are welcome to try different formats to see what works best for you.

Next Steps

Please email me: lara@adadsu.com

Or WhatsApp/ Signal message me to: 07791 991199

To arrange a first appointment.

You can find more information on my websites: http://adadsu.com/ and www.ecotherapyonline.com

£75 - £55 per 50 minutes session.

First session is free of charge.

Concessions towards the lower end of the scale for lower income.

Payment through internet banking (UK and International).

My Philosophy

My passion is working outdoors and including nature into therapy – even through online technologies. My work has been influenced by the body, relational, and existential models of therapy and through the field of eco-psychotherapy. This includes animal-assisted psychotherapy approaches like equine therapy (horses) and canine therapy (dogs).

I utilise philosophical and therapeutic contexts to consider deep ecology and sustainability in a society that puts a lot of pressure on each of us creating much disconnect with others, nature/our planet, community and ourselves.

Animal-assisted Therapy

I have co-therapist called Alba. She is a fox-red working Labrador and has been part of my sessions (online and offline) since she was a young pup. Animals have shown to calm us, lower heart rates and blood pressure and increase resilience. They can also help us to connect with ourselves and others, and increase confidence and self-esteem. I am also a trained Equine-assisted psychotherapist, working horses as co-therapists with individuals and groups in the UK and abroad since 2016. Animal-assisted therapy can even be included in the online environment.

You can find more information on my website: http://adadsu.com/ and www.ecotherapyonline.com