DR. LAURA MACHADO

Licensed Clinical Psychologist, PSY30526
Email: laura@lauramachadopsyd.com

I sincerely believe that all people can come to experience a deep and sustainable sense of well-being. Often, it is by overcoming struggle that we come to this state of wellness. I know this to be true first-hand and because I’ve witnessed countless others heal. We often just need some support and guidance to find our way, and it is such a gift to be able to play a supporting role for others. 

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I take seriously the responsibility to keep up with the latest trainings and research in the field, but the latest research findings often only help us eliminate "illness" and return to baseline. Although that is critical, my hope is that we can strive for better than that; we can discover a new, more rooted baseline, that allows you to weather life's ups and downs without losing yourself and come to a level of contentment in life that is deeper that what you may have known before. 

My approach is often described as a combination of science and soul, and my style as warm and genuine. I utilize an integrative approach that focuses on developing practical ways to survive your crisis, discovering and connecting to your truest self, and designing a life that reflects a level of peace that may be deeper than what you knew before.

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For most of my career, I have specialized in helping people recover from eating disorders and related issues, which includes mood and anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive-related disorders, and addictions. My research has been in developing criteria for sustainable recovery for eating disorders. I worked as the lead therapist at a treatment center for eating disorders and have given several trainings to other professionals on the assessment and treatment of eating disorders. I remain passionate about helping to advance the field of eating disorders and believe full and complete recovery is a possibility for everyone. 

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The following quote inspires my work: "When Michelangelo looked at a block of raw marble, he could see a figure imprisoned within it. With his talent and the tools of a sculptor, he brought for the the beauty, power, and magnificence of the figure that he saw and made it visible to all of us. A psychotherapist needs to have a similar eye to help free what is true in a person. for there to be alchemy in the work of therapist or sculptor, there must not only be training and experience but also an ability to see potential and beauty. I believe that the soul, not the mind, recognizes these qualities." ~Jean Bolen, M.D. 

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I am a member of the International Association of Eating Disorders and the Academy of Eating Disorders.

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I received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Kenyon College and both a Masters and a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from The Wright Institute. License #30526