You might be wondering, “What is Forward Emotion about?”
It is about growth, healing, change….it is about feeling better. It is about hope. It is about figuring life out. Our work together will help you feel better to try to get the most out of your life–to get back to feeling like ‘you.’
People seek help when they feel like they are going through the motions of daily life; like they are seeing things from underwater. Every little thing is a huge effort as if they were wearing cement shoes.
You may consider getting help because you want to find relief from the feeling of a racing heart, a pounding chest, always being on edge with sweaty palms and shaky hands–to stop being filled with constant worry.
People think about getting help when they are tired of reliving old memories, waking up from nightmares, and being fearful to live their lives.
You don’t have to have a mental illness to be helped by a healing professional
People also get help because they are looking for ways to improve themselves. You might want to prepare for an upcoming change that you know is inevitable or work on improving your self-esteem or ability to stand up for yourself in a relationship.
Sometimes people will look for help when they need support dealing with a life transition such as divorce or the kids moving out of the house. Sometimes they need someone to guide them through dark times like the loss of a loved one or a break up. Other times it is because they feel everything else they have tried hasn’t worked, and they just need to find something that helps them feel better and get unstuck!
Forward Emotion = Relief
There are so many reasons that someone will seek help. Usually those reasons are causing some sort of pain; pain that may be occasional and mild to constant and severe. Whatever the reason or intensity, people are looking for relief from their pain. Forward Emotion = Relief.
It can be difficult to get started and take the first step by making an appointment. It means this is real, and you are going to have to face it (with another person you don’t even know!). We won’t bite, we promise. We won’t judge either. We understand how difficult this is.
Change can be scary (so is continuing the way you have been)
It’s ok. Change can be scary. You want change though, right? That’s why you came here. Nothing will change without doing something first.
Our knowledge and expertise, paired with your motivation for change and relief, will help make this step easier. You don’t have to go it alone. Together we can work on what is bothering you and come up with a plan to figure it out, to help you feel better, and get back to being yourself!
Some words from Laura Clay,
Forward Emotion’s Founder
I am a people watcher. You can find me at a concert watching the crowd. I have always been interested in people, what they do, what they think, and how they feel.
I find it amazing the strength we all have within. I believe we are all like the phoenix, able to survive devastation and trauma only to come out of it stronger and better than before.
I love seeing people find their way and thrive in life. My clients amaze and inspire me every day. I feel I can see their ‘internal’ strength, and it is my job to guide them to finding that on their own. It is really what I love most about my job.
I am not a stranger to therapy. My mom took my sister and me to a family therapist as children. We talked about our problems, and I really appreciated the safe space of the therapist’s office. My mother taught me it was a good thing to talk about my feelings. I grew up thinking that was how everyone else was, too. I learned in grade school, that was not the case.
Ever since then, I have tried to help people work out problems, resolve conflicts, feel better. I have gone to counseling many times throughout my life for depression, anxiety and to work through change. In fact, I have used the techniques that I am trained in because they helped me so much! That is why I founded Forward Emotion, I want to help people like I have been helped by others.
Education
I earned my counseling and art therapy Master’s degree from Adler School of Professional Psychology in Chicago. I was also trained in EMDR by an EMDRIA-approved program. I have gone on to take several advanced trainings in EMDR because I find them so useful.
Read more about my journey in this VoyageChicago interview.
Some fun facts about me
- When I am not working, I LOVE reading and re-watching Harry Potter. The books really make me feel like I am in the story!
- I am a cat person. Dogs are okay… but I LOVE CATS! I am known for bringing home random kittens. You never know where a kitten might need a home… my last two were from the UPS guy and my hairdresser’s friend. (My husband loves and hates that about me.)
- I also have a weird fascination with horror movies and clowns (although they scare the sh*t out of me).
- And, I am a mother of amazing twins (I may or may not be biased), a wife, daughter, sister and friend.