Laura Nolan—Endometriosis Mental Health Therapist
Summary: Laura Nolan is an integrative somatic psychotherapist specializing in women’s health, endometriosis, chronic pelvic pain, trauma, and anxiety. She takes a personalized, trauma-informed approach that recognizes the complex interaction between physical symptoms, emotional well-being, nervous system regulation, and quality of life.
Laura holds an M.S.W. from San Francisco State University and a dual B.A. in American Studies and History from Scripps College, graduating magna cum laude. She is a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP) and has advanced training in several mind-body and trauma-focused approaches.
Her work integrates both “top-down” and “bottom-up” therapeutic approaches, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS – Level 3 trained), and Somatic Experiencing (SE). She also incorporates pain-focused approaches such as Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) and Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (EAET), as well as clinical sexology, mindfulness, Pelvic Floor Yoga, and Qigong for women’s health when appropriate.
Laura’s approach to endometriosis care is warm, collaborative, and individualized, with an emphasis on helping clients develop greater nervous-system regulation, reduce the impact of chronic pain and stress, improve quality of life, and feel more grounded and connected in their bodies. She also works as a Behavioral Medicine Consultant at Kaiser Oakland, where services are available through referral from a primary care physician. Her private practice is separate from her Kaiser role.
City: Oakland, CA
Visit types: Virtual
Spoken languages: English
Interpreting services for other languages: No
Philosophy of Endometriosis Care: I am an integrative somatic psychotherapist specializing in women’s health, trauma, anxiety, chronic pelvic pain, and endometriosis. I incorporate a bio-psycho-social lens in my work, blending “top-down” approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with more “bottom-up” approaches including EMDR, Internal Family Systems (Level 3 trained by the IFS Institute), and Somatic Experiencing (SE). I incorporate therapeutic modalities demonstrated to reduce pain levels, including Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (EAET), clinical sexology, and mindfulness-based approaches. I also integrate components of Pelvic Floor Yoga (Leslie Howard) and Qigong for women’s health (Daisy Lee) as appropriate. For those navigating the challenges that come with endometriosis, having someone who can accompany you through the pain is essential. I understand the complexity of living with endometriosis. I offer a deeply personalized and intentional approach. My combined training and experience enables me to meet each person as they are. I offer warm, kind, and practical support. I focus on supporting quality of life and fostering overall well-being. It is possible to feel more connected, grounded, and at ease in your being.
What else should be known about your practice: This information is regarding my private practice. I am employed by Kaiser Oakland as an Behavioral Medicine Consultant, but these services are only available by referral from a primary care physician.