Lyla Connolly
Associate Professional Clinical Counselor
Online therapy for individuals and couples 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
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), which helps 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, 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