Therapist in Spotlight
Laura Baggiore, MS, LAC
Laura Baggiore, MS, LAC
Licensed Professional Counselor in Mesa, Arizona
Personal & Professional Background
In college I learned about emotions for pretty much the first time in my life- I was so excited to learn that emotions are studied, validated, encouraged- and I knew I needed to be a part of this work. I see so much value in honoring emotions as communication versus shaming someone or reinforcing ideas of ‘you are less than’ when you are having an emotional experience. In addition to my love of learning about emotional intelligence I am intrigued by human behavior and it is fun to get to know how others think. I truly learn so much from my clients and have respect for the work they are doing!
My undergrad studies were in elementary education and the more developmental psychology classes I took the more my passion grew for helping people understand thinking and emotional experiences. I worked as a substitute teacher, behavioral health case manager and rehabilitation specialist and in addiction recovery as I completed my degree. All of these fields share the same root passion for me- understanding people and listening.
I have great respect for clients that are ready to explore trauma work, it takes a level of readiness and bravery and hopefully along this journey you also learn about yourself and experience peace. I tend to use Cognitive Processing, Dialectical Behavioral, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy the most due to roots in helping clients understand thinking processes and alter thinking patterns to support change.
It is rewarding to me on a personal level to listen and hear people truly be themselves and embrace vulnerability. It is rewarding to support clients in a way that I did not get very much of growing up, I craved the experience of being really heard and seen and so it is a joy to give clients this opportunity too.
Client Experience & Impact
Try practicing the ‘first thought’ mind exercise. No matter your schedule, whatever time you wake up in your schedule make sure your first thought is a positive one- try something like an affirmation or open-minded thought about the possibilities of the day versus the first thought being a to-do list for the day. The tasks are important too, but try to practice putting off the to-do list until you have taken some time just for you. Prioritize yourself and you will feel the daily benefits!
If you are thinking about therapy and feel worried or hesitant trust yourself- maybe there is a reason now is not a good time for therapy; and I encourage you to call the practice anyway to have a conversation with any of our staff about your concerns. Your concerns are valid, maybe talking through the worries can offer some insight into how therapy can help on a deeper level.
Yes! A client that deeply impacted me was during my early work as an intern because working with this man helped me really see the value in learning from my clients. This client was one of the very first clients I worked with in my internship; he has Dissociative Identity Disorder and shared with me some challenging and impactful childhood memories that were possibly some of his origin stories with his different personalities. It was wonderful to work with him and learn about his intelligence and learn about his different personalities and their roles, including protecting him. Working with this client reinforced for me the responsibility I have as a clinician to learn evidence-based techniques and lead me to further exploring how trauma impacts our processing. I really appreciated this client’s honesty and willingness to work with me as a shy intern. It was amazing to learn about his thought processes and his insights about side effects of medication.
Self-Care & Personal Insights
What do you do to maintain your own mental well-being?
How do you handle the emotional weight of your work?
As a therapist you have to learn to manage your own stress and emotions so you do not encroach on your client’s emotional space. Care, don’t carry. This is a concept that was introduced to me during my undergrad program that I still recite to myself. This mantra has helped me reduce the amount that I personalize. It is really just about practicing boundaries for me and reminding myself the work is hard and I love it. It is also helpful that I have a supportive spouse who encourages me at the end of a work day to turn off my computer and my work phone and take physical space to create more room for my brain space. I do try to still be on call for emergencies as needed though. I have a supervisor who reminds me to validate effort and manage overthinking and I have kids who do silly things all the time and remind me to laugh often.
Just A Little Fun
If you weren’t a therapist, what career would you have pursued?
I pursued work in education at first, I was even a substitute teacher for several years, I have always enjoyed working with kids, but virtual teaching during the pandemic and returning to school in-person induced anxiety attacks and reinforced for me the need for time and emotional boundaries in my work. I don’t think I would go back to teaching purely due to the amount of take home work that is required. If I wasn’t a therapist, I still see myself in a job helping people, and I have this hope that in retirement I have lots of land and fill it with puppies or llamas.
What’s one fun fact about you that most people don’t know?
I play the accordion! My mom wanted to give me piano lessons in grade school and classes were full, but amazingly this class was completely open, if you can believe it! At the time I was in fifth grade and mortified, mostly due to a tv show that depicted playing this instrument as a nerdy activity. In hindsight I wish I would have embraced that ten -year-old me and encouraged that nerdy part of myself and really embrace the instrument. Learning to play the accordion taught me so much dexterity and really helped me sort out dyslexia.
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Are you ready to reach your potential?