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Open up new options for success by discovering a new perspective

Enhance self-esteem by self-discovery and claiming your power

Enjoy more satisfying relationships by strengthening boundaries

Heal emotional wounds, turn negative experiences into personal growth

experience inner peace

How do you know if counseling is for you?

Do you feel stuck? Overwhelmed? Not your usual self? Struggling with feelings, thoughts or behaviors you want to change? Do you sometimes wonder if your (relationship, job, sobriety, life) is worth it? Do you say "yes" when you want to say "no" or are you afraid to say "yes" when you really want to? Have a hard time loving yourself? Or maybe you just want to understand yourself better, find out what you want in life, improve the quality of your connection with others, with self, with spirit? Live the life you really want. Find deeper meaning or purpose for your life. Bend Counseling can help. 

Why Bend Counseling?

For those struggling with their mental health, Bend Counseling offers EMDR to address trauma symptoms, DBT skills for emotional dysregulation, panic and mood issues. We offer CBT skills to help you change negative thought patterns that maintain anxiety and depression. Bend Counseling offers education and skills that help you manage major life challenges such as the death of a loved one, divorce, a toxic work environment, young adulthood independence, conflict between adolescents and parents, teen pregnancy, school difficulties related to attention deficit , learning difficulties, bullying, anxiety or social problems. Maybe sometimes you or your loved ones forget that you are way more than all this "stuff", but we don't. We often see your inner strengths while you are unaware of them, because so much of your effort is involved in dealing with the reality of your life right now. At Bend Counseling, we are dedicated to empowering you.

For those who are doing fine by many standards, but you feel something is missing, you want more, we offer a respectful witness to help you find what you are looking for. Are you searching for greater well-being, self-understanding, forgiveness and compassion? Would you like assistance in exploring questions about relationships, what you want to do in life, or how to integrate lifestyle choices that correspond to your own personal values? Are you interested in learning to practice present moment awareness, committing yourself to developing your potential, letting go of restrictive beliefs or thought patterns? Would you like to embrace life more fully, build bridges, focus on becoming more authentically who you really are? Laura Bender of Bend Counseling would be honored to accompany you in this endeavor. Life is too short to waste on things that don't really matter.

A word about trauma:

Traumatic experiences underlie many psychological problems and often that connection is missed. Laura Bender is an experienced psychotherapist who can work with you, your partner, teenager or child. Bend Counseling offers EMDR, equine assisted psychotherapy, and other experiential modalities to address trauma symptoms associated with a history of childhood abuse or neglect, domestic violence, military deployment, witnessing or experiencing severe life stressors. She specializes in PTS, complex trauma and the myriad of associated symptoms such as emotional numbing, panic, anger management issues, excessive need for control, obsessive thinking, compulsive behaviors, addictions, eating disorders, trust and attachment issues, low self-esteem, depression, high risk and self-destructive behavior, disturbing and intrusive thoughts, dreams and/or memories, avoidance behaviors, hypervigilance, hearing voices, difficulty with everyday functioning, and resulting negative consequences. This kind of work requires an understanding of multi-phased treatment and a commitment to ongoing work. Through her understanding of trauma, Laura Bender can help provide a map to help you navigate this process. She offers a gentle, safe container to face your "demons." You really don't have to do this alone. Call us.                    

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