Lara Shemali, LMHC

Lara Shemali is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) practicing in Washington with 29 years of professional experience. She brings long-term clinical work to help people reduce stress, manage anxiety, and address relationship concerns, trauma and abuse, and depressive symptoms.

Her practice includes supporting clients through addiction and recovery, building self-esteem and confidence, and improving personal and professional motivation. She also works with a broad range of related challenges, including chronic pain or illness, attachment and abandonment concerns, communication and commitment issues, and complex co-occurring conditions. Lara combines practical tools for stress reduction with therapeutic interventions tailored to each person’s needs.

She aims to create an open, nonjudgmental space where people can share thoughts and feelings in confidence. Lara recognizes that beginning therapy takes courage and she affirms those who take that step. She maintains weekday hours and is amenable to evening and weekend appointments when availability allows. Lara is available to work with clients in Washington and accepts international clients, and she collaborates with each person to coordinate care that fits their responsibilities and life demands.

Approach-Focused Care Delivered Online

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify their values and take meaningful action even when difficult thoughts or feelings are present. It can be useful for stress, anxiety, and patterns that get in the way of what matters most.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns and teaching practical skills to change them. It is often used for anxiety, depression, and managing everyday stressors.

Client-Centered Therapy centers on understanding each person’s experience and offering empathic support while the person explores goals and solutions at their own pace. This approach supports self-esteem, relationship work, and healing from trauma.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Lara will work collaboratively with each person and licensed professionals to determine which methods best match an individual’s goals, needs, and preferences, and she will adjust the plan as progress unfolds.

Online therapy options - including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging - make it easier to fit care into busy lives. These formats offer flexibility for scheduling, reduce travel time, and allow ongoing access to support from a licensed therapist in ways that match each person’s routine and comfort.