Lyla Connolly, APCC
Therapy for Women and Mothers
Online therapy for individuals in California
About Lyla Connolly
Hello! I’m Lyla (She/Her), an Associate Professional Clinical Counselor, supervised by Cyla Fisk, LMFT. Before getting my Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, I worked for a food-as-medicine initiative in Oakland, California, which has informed my mind-body approach to mental health. I am also a lifelong surfer, introvert, and lover of sunny afternoons curled up with a book.
I was first inspired to become a therapist during my sophomore year of college when I started going to therapy to work through my anxiety and stressful relationship to food/body. As I sat on my therapist’s couch, processing emotions that I had been avoiding for years, peering into the dusty corners of my subconscious mind, and changing old patterns that no longer served me, I started to feel more free, grounded, and authentic. I remember thinking to myself “When I heal these wounds, I want to help others do the same.” And here I am, ready to serve you.
Interested in learning more about me?: Voyage La Article
Quoted in: VerilyMag and MarieClaire
You deserve to feel grounded in your mind, body, and relationships, and I want to help you get there.
Clinical Focus
My holistic, in-depth approach to therapy focuses on the mind-body connection as well as what is happening beneath the surface of your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. As your therapist, it is my job to create a safe, collaborative, and culturally sensitive environment for you to explore yourself and create meaningful change in your life.
Many of my clients identify as Gen-Z and Millennial women who appear high achieving on the outside, but feel anxious and disconnected from themselves on the inside. My specialties include anxiety, perfectionism, disordered eating, body image, attachment trauma, as well as romantic relationships and sexual desire.
My therapeutic approach is anchored in psychodynamic theory, which helps you get to the root of your concerns by exploring the link between the past and the present. I am also informed by Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and Internal Family Systems (IFS), which help you connect with underlying emotions and heal from attachment wounds so you can create more security within yourself and your relationships. Nervous system and somatic-informed work round out my clinical approach, utilizing the Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM) and EMDR, helping you ground and honor the mind-body connection.
How I Can Support You
My Training & Experience
MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Northwestern University
BA in Anthropology from Brown University
Integrative Health Practitioner Certification from Dr Stephen Cabral
The Neurodiversity Paradigm with Mady Snyder, LMFT
Empty Cradle Broken Hearth, Working with Bereaved Families
EMDR Basic Training through The Center for Excellence
Ongoing consultation in TRM, EMDR, IFS and Perinatal Mental Health with Cyla Fisk, LMFT, PMH-C
What People Are Saying
“Lyla is an incredibly skilled therapist who uses her understanding of depth psychology and the body's innate intelligence to help clients towards growth and healing. Empathetic and curious, she has the gift of being able to hold space and provide insight without judgment. With Lyla you are in excellent hands and I couldn't recommend her enough!”
— Julia Papale, APCC
“Lyla has changed my life. She has helped me tune into my body and feel my way through healing in a way I’ve never been able to achieve before through traditional talk therapy. This has allowed me to clear past trauma on a much deeper level and has unlocked a whole new potential for my life as I look forward to the future. I would often sit and feel frustrated that I was spinning and failing to make progress on things I seemingly wanted for my life, and for the first time I feel like I’m able to untangle these pieces, with Lyla’s support, and make forward progress toward my dreams! I couldn’t recommend Lyla highly enough.”
— Anonymous
“I highly recommend therapist Lyla Connolly. I've had the pleasure of being colleagues with Lyla and she deeply cares about helping high-achievers overcome things like anxiety, body image, and relationship conflict.”
— Erica Basso, LMFT
