Life Below the Surface
Help for the journey toward a life well-lived.
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3060 Valencia Ave. Suite 6
Aptos, CA 95003
831-460-2550 x15
Laura provides counseling in Santa Cruz and surrounding areas for those who are tired of surviving through the monotonous, unsatisfying patterns and relationships in which so many of us feel stuck. Specialties include Christian counseling; marriage counseling; help for teens and families; and healing from anxiety, stress, depression or a painful past.
Help for the journey toward a life well-lived.
Have you ever felt jealous of someone who has an extended amount of free time, like a teacher who has the summer off, or a person who is retired? Have you fantasized about what you would do with all that free time, about how nice it would be to slow down and relax?
Crowded. That is the word that I would use to describe a lot of things in our modern lives. Our cities are crowded with people and buildings. Our streets and highways are crowded with traffic. Our schedules are crowded with countless to-dos and obligations. Our houses are crowded full of stuff. Our minds are crowded with all the different things we need to keep track of in our fast-paced world. Does your life feel crowded? I know mine does!
"Our soul is like an inner stream of water, which gives strength, direction and harmony to every other element of our life. When that stream is as it should be, we are constantly refreshed and exuberant in all we do..." Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart
The past several years I have been on a quest: a quest to discover why I've felt so "off", so disconnected from myself and from others. You see, about four years ago I moved to Santa Cruz from the Central Valley, started a new job and got married, all within the space of a few months. While these were all wonderful and exciting changes in my life, in the aftermath of all the change I felt so disoriented and out of my element.
...I'm glad you're here! My goal for this space is to provide thoughts, suggestions and camaraderie as we strive to live lives that are full of meaning and purpose. Whether we realize it or not, the desire for meaning - for our lives to mean something to others and to the world - runs strong and deep. We long to feel significant, like we belong. We also yearn for connection - to ourselves, to other people and to a deeper sense of purpose.
After weeks, maybe months, of deliberating, you've finally decided to take the leap and go to therapy. You hoped it wouldn't come to this, but you need things to change and you've tried everything else you can think of. You don't know where to begin...you've never been in this place before...so you google "therapists in Santa Cruz" and are met with pages and pages of results. After reading through a few websites, you feel completely overwhelmed and in over-your-head.