Lara Veon, LPC, RYT

Lara is a body-inclusive psychotherapist practicing in private practice.  She holds a Masters Degree in Community Counseling from Loyola University Chicago and a Masters Degree in Teaching from Webster University. She is also a Registered Yoga Teacher. Lara believes strongly that the integration of mind, body, and spirit in a therapeutic context provides profound opportunities for healing from trauma. 

In addition to her clinical work, Lara consults for Mindful Practices, a wellness organization bringing yoga and wellness programs to schools and educators, and she teaches yoga with Yoga For Recovery, an organization providing opportunities for empowerment and recovery for incarcerated women in the Cook County Sheriff’s Women’s Justice Program.

Individually and in groups, I  incorporate traditional psychotherapy with body-centered approaches such as trauma-sensitive yoga, mindfulness, meditation, guided imagery, expressive arts, and “Becoming Safely Embodied” skills. The therapeutic process is collaborative, empowering, and validating; therefore, safety and accessibility for a survivor is a priority. I work with all clients, regardless of economic status, race, gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, and survivor history.

I’ve been working in the mental health field for over ten years in schools and community settings; however, my experience working with survivors dates back to high school when I first volunteered at a domestic violence shelter in St. Louis, Missouri. More recently, while obtaining my second master’s degree in Community Counseling from Loyola University, I specialized in the treatment of trauma while also obtaining certification as a yoga teacher, with additional training in trauma-sensitive yoga. I provided body-inclusive psychotherapy during my time practicing at  Center for Contextual Change, a nationally recognized center specializing in trauma, domestic and family violence, child and adult sexual abuse, addiction, compulsion, self-injurious behavior, and severe emotional and behavioral disorders. In addition, I teach trauma-sensitive yoga for pre and post-natal women in the Cook County Sheriff’s Women’s Justice Program.