Laina Pauker

LCSW

Do you feel more comfortable outdoors than in a therapy office or a zoom call? Same. My name is Laina Pauker (she/her) and I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I’ve been providing individual and group therapy in different community-based settings for the past six years and I’m interested in exploring what therapy can look like for you at your local Ventura County park or trail. I believe that our connection to nature and community can greatly impact our mental health and I draw on both clinical experience and evidenced-based practices that validate this. Walk and talk sessions will integrate the natural environment into therapeutic healing. We might notice sensations, emotions, and thoughts that come up for you when outdoors and observe shifts as you discuss different experiences. Through this process, you can develop awareness of your needs and attend to them. My priority in therapy is building on your strengths and internal resources to support you in being your authentic self. I provide individual therapy to adults (18 and older), drawing on trauma-informed care and social justice frameworks. This means assessing your needs as a multifaceted, complex individual within relationships, family, and community. I provide choice throughout the therapeutic process: explaining different potential pathways towards mental health goals, from processing experiences verbally or visually to practicing social-emotional skills. I also support bands and creative collaborators to better communicate, fostering more meaningful relationships as well as art. Just as in individual therapy, I assess your needs as a group to help you work more effectively together. Collaboration in therapy can start with creating shared goals and sessions can be exploratory or focused on group dynamics and creative needs. Art and music are vital to all of us and I am passionate about holding the space for you to understand and strengthen your processes as artists.