Laurel Tester

A little about me…

My personal healing and professional journey began unknowingly at quite a young age. At the time, my own internal struggle and existential pain was completely at odds with the family and greater community that I was born into. After many years of denying the hard truth of my pain and desperately numbing out to its existence, I started to look inward.  This began the long and at times painful process of rediscovering my innate capacity to heal and embrace life. As time passed, I found I was no longer hurting in the ways that once consumed me. No longer making choices that could re-injure myself. Through this process, I decided to help others in finding freedom from the past, self-acceptance, and emotional balance.

In 2010 I began my training at University of Worcester in Person Centred Counselling and Psychotherapy. From there I became interested in group work and completed further training in Group Analysis with the IGA (Institute of Group Analysis). This has lead me into post grad studies at University of Oxford in Psychodynamic approaches. Since my initial qualifications, I have found it the greatest privilege to work with others to assist them in learning how to gain mastery over their lives and deepen their relationships. I have worked with a diverse range of individuals and have an unwavering trust in the human ability to heal and thrive if given the right support. I have a special interest in Relational Trauma and supporting mothers overcome their own difficult upbringing in order become the parent they want to be. I aim to build trusting and mutually meaningful relationships with my clients, bringing my person-hood as much as my expertise.