About Laura Merritt
Trauma Therapist & Educator
Finding the right therapist is about more than credentials, it's about finding someone whose perspective and experience resonates with you.Whether you're seeking support for anxiety, trauma, relationship challenges, or personal growth, my goal is to help you better understand yourself, move beyond old patterns, and create meaningful, lasting change.
Who we are
Transforming Trauma Institute exists to revolutionize the way we understand trauma and healing For more than 20 years, I've dedicated my career to understanding why people suffer, what helps them heal, and why no single approach works for everyone. That journey has taken me from advanced training in trauma therapy including EMDR, Prolonged Exposure, Somatic Experiencing, and psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy to learning from traditional healers in Mexico, Guatemala, and Colombia. Along the way, one belief has remained constant: healing isn't about fitting people into a model it's about understanding the whole person and creating an approach that fits them.To challenge the false divide between evidence-based approaches and ancient wisdom, and to create a space where becoming whole is possible.
Whether you're seeking therapy for yourself, working to build a healthier relationship, or a therapist wanting to deepen your understanding of trauma treatment, our mission is the same: to bridge science, clinical practice, and the wisdom of traditional healing into a more comprehensive understanding of how people heal.Today, the Institute offers individual therapy, couples therapy, and consultation for professionals.
coming sooneducational courses, continuing education programs, a book, and retreats and immersive learning experiences designed to expand the conversation around trauma and healing.
Laura Merrit
I often say my greatest teacher wasn't graduate school. it was witnessing trauma and healing unfold within my own family. I witnessed both the far-reaching impact of trauma and the profound transformation that healing can create. That experience of knowing first hand, the impact of trauma and benefits of healing has inspired a lifelong commitment to understanding what helps people heal.
Over the next twenty years, I watched thousands of people, veterans, survivors, couples, clinicians, find their way back to themselves through therapy. But it was my own healing journey that took me off the beaten path and expanded everything I thought I knew about trauma and recovery.
That path led me to traditional healers in Mexico, Guatemala, and Colombia, to advanced training in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, and to a deep questioning of why evidence-based treatment alone wasn't enough for everyone. What I found was that trauma doesn't live in one part of us, it lives in the body, in the emotions and energy we carry, in our sense of meaning and spiritual connection. Healing has to reach all of it.
Today, that understanding is the foundation of everything at Transforming Trauma Institute, a whole-person approach that bridges the best of modern science with the wisdom traditions that have been facilitating deep healing long before the DSM existed.
education and experience
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Laura Merritt, LCSW, is a licensed psychotherapist with more than 20 years of clinical experience specializing in trauma, anxiety, relationships, and psychedelic-informed care. She has completed extensive postgraduate training in many of the leading evidence-based treatments for trauma, while also pursuing advanced education in emerging therapeutic approaches and cross-cultural healing traditions.
Her advanced training includes:
Somatic Experiencing®
Prolonged Exposure for PTSD
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for PTSD
Cognitive Therapy for Depression and Insomnia
Gottman Method Couples Therapy
Clinical Sexology for Intimacy
Clinical Hypnosis
California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) – Certificate in Psychedelic Therapies and Research
Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) – MDMA Therapy Training Program
Polaris Insight Center – Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy
EMDR (EMDRIA)
Certified Trauma Specialist
Licensed in Washington, California, and Texas.
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Throughout her career, Laura has served as a therapist, clinical supervisor, researcher, educator, and consultant, helping individuals, couples, and fellow clinicians better understand trauma and the healing process.
Her work integrates neuroscience, evidence-based trauma therapies, psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, and lessons learned from traditional healing practices to provide care that is individualized, thoughtful, and comprehensive. In addition to working directly with clients, Laura provides consultation to mental health professionals seeking to deepen their clinical skills in trauma treatment, psychedelic integration, and complex case conceptualization.
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Laura is an international speaker, educator, and thought leader dedicated to advancing conversations around trauma, healing, and psychedelic-informed care. She has presented nationally and internationally on trauma treatment, ethical psychedelic practice, and the integration of science with traditional healing wisdom.
Her expertise has been featured in Newsweek and Cybernews, and she is available for podcast interviews, keynote presentations, professional trainings, media commentary, and corporate wellness programs.
Laura is also the founder of the Transforming Trauma Institute and author of an upcoming book exploring a more comprehensive model of trauma healing informed by both modern science and ancestral wisdom.
Brand Values
Whole-Person
Healing
Healing is rarely one-dimensional.We believe lasting change comes from understanding the whole person—their thoughts, emotions, nervous system, relationships, lived experiences, and the meaning they make of them. Rather than asking, "What's wrong with you?" we ask, "What happened to you?" and "What do you need to heal?"
Curiosity
Over Certainty
Healing doesn't happen through rigid formulas.We value curiosity, humility, and a willingness to keep learning, drawing from both evidence-based science and the wisdom of traditional healing practices. By staying open to new perspectives, we're able to provide care that is thoughtful, individualized, and responsive to each person's unique journey.
Healing
That Ripples Forward
Healing is deeply personal, but it never happens in isolation.When one person heals, relationships change, families grow stronger, and patterns that have been carried for generations can begin to shift. Our mission is to support healing that not only transforms individual lives but also creates a healthier legacy for those who come next.
Let's Discover What Healing Looks Like for You
Whether you're navigating anxiety, healing from trauma, strengthening your relationship, or seeking professional consultation, I'm here to help you take the next step with clarity and confidence.