A conversation with Laura Emilia Escudero

• What led you to choose psychotherapy or counselling as a profession?

  My path to psychotherapy was shaped by both personal inquiry and professional curiosity. Through my own experiences of anxiety, burnout, and living with chronic pain, I became deeply interested in how the body and nervous system hold stress, emotion, and unresolved experience. Traditional talk-based approaches were helpful, but it was somatic work that allowed for deeper integration and change.
  This led me to formally train in counselling and somatic psychotherapy, alongside movement and embodiment practices. Over time, I saw how working with the nervous system supports not only symptom relief, but greater regulation, agency, and connection. I chose this profession because it allows me to combine relational depth with body-based approaches, supporting people to reconnect with themselves in a way that is both grounded and transformative.
  

• Which philosophical approaches have influenced your professional development?

  My work is shaped by several philosophical and therapeutic traditions that I understand as three interwoven threads. Together, they inform how I work with the whole person—mind, body, emotion, and lived experience.
  Process-oriented psychotherapy and counselling have influenced how I explore meaning, emotional patterns, and the unfolding of inner experience. Somatic movement therapy and body-based work inform my understanding of the body as intelligent and responsive, offering a gentle yet powerful way to work with sensation, regulation, and integration. In addition, contemplative traditions such as yogic philosophy and elements of Eastern medicine have shaped my appreciation of change, impermanence, and the dynamic nature of human experience.
  What unites these approaches is a shared view of the human being as fluid rather than fixed. Change is not forced, but supported through awareness, relationship, and the body’s innate capacity to reorganise and heal.
  

• Which particular aspects of health or the human journey are you interested in?

  I’m particularly interested in the aspects of health and the human journey that involve transformation, integration, and the restoration of internal safety. This includes supporting people through life transitions, trauma recovery, grief, chronic stress, anxiety, and challenges related to emotional regulation and identity. I’m especially drawn to work where these experiences are connected to nervous system dysregulation, unresolved trauma, or disconnection from the body.
  
  At the core of my work is an interest in how people rebuild trust in themselves—physically, emotionally, and relationally. I’m interested in helping clients develop greater regulation, resilience, and choice, so they can move out of survival patterns and into a more grounded, free and present way of living. My aim is to support lasting change that feels integrated, embodied, and sustainable, rather than symptom-focused or short term.
  
  

• What methods do you use?

  My work integrates somatic psychotherapy, counselling, and trauma-informed care within a strengths-based, person-centred framework. Sessions draw on body-based approaches such as Somatic Experiencing, somatic movement therapy, parts work, and process-oriented psychotherapy, supporting both emotional insight and nervous system regulation.
  I work collaboratively and at a paced rhythm, attuned to the body’s responses in the present moment. Depending on the client’s needs, sessions may include awareness of sensation, movement, grounding practices, and relational inquiry to support integration and resilience. My approach is holistic and embodied, supporting clients to move beyond coping strategies toward greater regulation, agency, and connection with themselves.
  Alongside individual therapy, I have facilitated group and embodied work, supporting people to reconnect with their voice, expression, and sense of self in safe and contained ways.
  

• When do you think the client will start to feel that progress is being made?

  Clients typically begin to feel progress in our work within the first few sessions, especially as we start to build trust and create a safe, supportive space for exploration. Early on, many clients notice shifts in their emotional and physical states—less anxiety, more clarity, or a deeper sense of calm. As we engage with the body and nervous system, there’s often a sense of relief or release, which can be felt almost immediately after a session.
  
  Longer-term progress tends to be more gradual but deeply transformative. Clients may notice that they’re responding differently to stress, feeling more grounded in their bodies, or gaining a new perspective on old patterns. Over time, they may also begin to feel more connected to their authentic selves, experiencing greater joy, vitality, and a sense of agency in their lives. Ultimately, progress is measured not just in the absence of discomfort but in the presence of more ease, resilience, and personal empowerment.
  

• How has therapy made a difference in your life?

  Therapy has had a profound influence on my life, both personally and professionally. Through my own therapeutic process, I’ve learned to listen to my body, develop greater self-compassion, and build trust in my internal experience. Therapy supported me to navigate periods of stress, burnout, and emotional overwhelm with more steadiness and care.
  Over time, this work helped me soften patterns shaped by fear, shame, and external expectations, and develop a more grounded, authentic relationship with myself. Experiencing therapy from the inside has deeply informed how I work with others—it has taught me the importance of pace, safety, and relationship in creating meaningful change. This ongoing personal work continues to shape my presence as a therapist and my commitment to supporting clients with empathy, respect, and integrity.
  
  

• What do you like most about being a therapist?

  
  What I value most about being a therapist is the privilege of witnessing people reconnect with themselves in meaningful ways. It’s deeply humbling to support someone as they develop greater awareness, resilience, and trust in their own capacity to navigate life. Being alongside this process—at a pace that honours each person’s experience—is something I hold with great respect.

• Can you share the name of a book, film, song, event or work of art that inspires you?

  The poetry of David Whyte, for its insight into courage, presence, and the inner life, alongside the novels of Isabel Allende, for their rich exploration of memory, identity,culture, and intergenerational resilience.