EMDR and Somatic Therapist
Lara Zammit, LLMSW
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Patient Populations: Adolescents, Young Adults, Adults
Education: University of Michigan (Ann Arbor)
You carry deep wounds from your past, making it difficult to fully open up to others. You feel guarded, hesitant to trust, and afraid of getting hurt again. Despite longing for connection, you struggle to let down your barriers, fearing vulnerability and rejection.
Hi, my name is Lara and I am a trauma and EMDR therapist. In therapy, my goal is to cultivate a collaborative therapeutic relationship so you can better understand yourself, your relationships, and your reactions to the world. I integrate a psychodynamic framework with somatic and attachment-based interventions. You will gain awareness and make lasting changes by addressing the connection between formative experiences, relationship patterns, and the nervous system.
My commitment is to create a space of understanding, non-judgment, safety, and openness. I will also gently challenge you along the way. I have prior experience working with survivors of sexual abuse, relational violence, attachment disruption, and intergenerational trauma at the partial level of care and within shelter-based services.
Who is your ideal client?
I work well with people who are willing to engage in an open process and are curious about shifting the patterns and perceptions they have learned. My experience lends itself to working with older adolescents and emerging adults with histories of trauma, relational difficulties, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, grief, and self-harm.
What’s something you wish people knew about therapy or the therapy process?
The therapeutic alliance is important for the therapy process to be effective. At varying degrees, it serves as a microcosm of client's interpersonal relationships and models safety, boundaries, consent, and repair. In terms of the trajectory of therapy, progress can take time. Therapy can be transformative when you combine a safe environment and willingness to be open and honest with small exposures to uncertainty and discomfort.
Why do you like being a therapist?
I am passionate about creating space for people to identify where they have control, safety, and agency in their lifes. It is also powerful to assist people in finding areas they want to create change.
Besides being a therapist, what do you enjoy in your spare time?
I love being outside (whether that is running, hiking, swimming or biking), cooking, and reading (mostly nonfiction/ memoirs).
What is your favorite book, podcast or mental health resource?
My Grandmother's Hands by Resmaa Menakem
Schopenhauer's Porcupines by Deborah Anna Luepnitz, Ph.D.
Strangers to Ourselves by Rachel Aviv