Inspiring new growth, hope and healing
About
Laura Nydam
Clinical Social Worker
Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor
I am a Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) as well as a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC) in the state of Iowa. I earned my undergraduate degree in social work from Dordt College, Sioux Center, IA, and my Master of Social Work degree from the University of Iowa. I provide counseling and psychotherapy to individuals as well as couples and families. I have a special interest in providing holistic care to resolve issues of grief, trauma, life transitions, divorce, anxiety, OCD, depression, and substance abuse. I love to work with family members and people in relationships with those having difficulty with substance abuse. I welcome spirituality and religion as a resource in therapy. I also strive to provide a safe non-judgmental environment for healing of all people regardless of of belief and value systems.
On a personal note I enjoy traveling, art, music, nature and spending time with family and friends. Our family enjoys outdoor activities such as boating, camping, hiking and riding dirt bikes.
01.
Addiction can take many forms not limited to substances, food, pornography. I am a CADC (Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor) in the state of Iowa and have the most experience working in addiction with drugs and alcohol. I have also worked extensively with people who are affected by a loved one's addiction or substance abuse and enjoy that work very much. I believe most addition and substance issues are caused by the avoidance of underlying pain, physical or emotional. I have done extensive co-occurring work with addiction/substance abuse and mental health issues in the out-patient setting. I feel passionately that people must be treated for both simultaneously in order to achieve long-term success. I also have experience in working with other types of addiction issues as well such as food and porn.
02.
"EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is a form of therapy that helps people heal from trauma or other distressing life experiences. EMDR therapy has been extensively researched and has demonstrated effectiveness for trauma." (emdria.org)
"After the therapist and client agree that EMDR therapy is a good fit, and begin to work together, the client will be asked to focus on a specific event. Attention will be given to a negative image, belief, and body feeling related to this event, and then to a positive belief that would indicate the issue was resolved. While the client focuses on the upsetting event, the therapist will begin sets of side-to-side eye movements, sounds, or taps. The client will be guided to notice what comes to mind after each set. They may experience shifts in insight or changes in images, feelings, or beliefs regarding the event. EMDR therapy may be used within a standard talking therapy, as an adjunctive therapy with a separate therapist, or as a treatment all by itself." (emdria.org)
03.
Trauma treatment is one of my specialties. I have years of experience working with all kinds of trauma childhood abuse, sexual abuse, developmental trauma, PTSD, and dissociative disorders. I especially appreciate working with first responders, police officers and military personnel to work proactively with symptoms so that the symptoms don't turn into PTSD or other disorders. I have been to many trainings for trauma, completed 3 levels of Janina Fisher's "Complex Trauma Training". Pat Ogden, Peter Levine, Bessel Vander Kolk are some of the other trauma specialists I have studied.