Laura Hvala | Counsellor, Psychotherapist & Naturopath in Woodend, Victoria
Trauma-informed counselling, psychotherapy and integrative natural health support for adults, adolescents and couples—in person in Woodend and online across regional and rural Victoria.
Hello, I’m Laura.
My professional journey has developed across the fields of science, education, natural medicine, counselling, psychotherapy and spiritual care. Each stage has expanded my understanding of the human condition and contributed to the compassionate, trauma-informed and whole-person approach I offer clients today.
I have always been fascinated by how the mind and body work together, how our relationships and experiences shape us, and how people find healing, meaning and hope through times of difficulty.
My Professional Journey
My work has evolved through many years of study, teaching, clinical practice and ongoing professional development.
What began as a scientific interest in the human brain and body gradually expanded into a deeper exploration of emotional wellbeing, relationships, trauma, spirituality and the human capacity for healing and growth.
Rather than replacing one professional perspective with another, each stage of my training has added another dimension to my work. Today, I draw upon this broad foundation to understand clients within the context of their physical health, nervous system, relationships, life experiences, beliefs, values and personal story.
Science, Education and Human Development
My professional training began with a Bachelor of Science at the University of Melbourne, where I studied anatomy, physiology, neuroscience and biochemistry.
This gave me a strong foundation in the biological sciences and an enduring appreciation for the complexity of the human brain, nervous system and body.
I began my career as a secondary school teacher, teaching science, biology and chemistry. I later moved into special education at the Royal Children’s Hospital Secondary School, where I worked with children and adolescents experiencing significant illness and extended hospital stays.
Working closely with these young people was a deeply humbling and formative experience. It taught me that people are far more than their diagnosis or circumstances, and that safety, encouragement, compassionate presence and human connection can be profoundly important during periods of vulnerability and uncertainty.
Exploring the Human Mind and Body
I then spent ten years as a Senior Education Officer at the newly established Melbourne Museum, working within the Human Mind and Body Gallery.
During this time, I developed and presented educational programs exploring biotechnology, medicine, neuroscience, genetics and human development. I worked with school students, teachers, tertiary students and professionals from a range of health and science disciplines.
These years strengthened my ability to translate complex scientific ideas into language that is accessible, meaningful and relevant to everyday life.
They also deepened my curiosity about the relationship between the mind and body—an area that continues to influence my work with clients experiencing trauma, chronic stress, emotional dysregulation, fatigue, pain and other persistent health concerns.
Naturopathy, Functional Medicine and Whole-Person Health
Alongside my scientific and educational background, I became increasingly interested in a more holistic understanding of health.
This led me to complete further qualifications in Traditional Western Herbal Medicine, Nutritional Medicine and Naturopathy.
While working with clients in naturopathic practice, I observed how closely physical health can be connected with emotional wellbeing, relationships, stress, grief and unresolved life experiences.
Symptoms rarely appeared in isolation. The body often carried the effects of prolonged stress, difficult relationships and experiences that had not yet been fully understood or processed.
This awareness inspired me to pursue formal training in counselling and psychotherapy and began the next stage of my professional development.
My background in naturopathy and functional medicine-informed care continues to help me consider the interaction between nutrition, sleep, stress physiology, nervous-system health, lifestyle, emotional wellbeing and physical symptoms.
These perspectives complement psychotherapy and appropriate medical care rather than replacing them.
Counselling and Psychotherapy
My early psychotherapeutic training was grounded in depth-oriented, psychodynamic and Jungian approaches.
These traditions helped me appreciate the importance of each person’s inner world—their emotions, unconscious patterns, formative relationships, personal symbols, beliefs and life story.
I later completed a Master’s Degree in Counselling and Psychotherapy, expanding my clinical understanding of psychological development, attachment, relationships, emotional regulation and therapeutic practice.
My postgraduate research explored clients’ lived experiences of self-discovery, personal growth and transformation through Jungian Sandplay Therapy.
Sandplay is a creative and experiential therapeutic process that can help people express and explore experiences that may be difficult to communicate through words alone.
This research deepened my respect for the uniqueness of every person’s healing process. It also confirmed the importance of working collaboratively and allowing therapy to unfold at a pace that feels safe, respectful and meaningful for each client.
Trauma-Informed and Integrative Therapy
Over time, my clinical approach has continued to evolve through further professional training in trauma-informed psychotherapy, attachment-based practice, relational therapy, experiential approaches, nervous-system regulation and body-aware therapeutic methods.
My work now draws from a range of complementary approaches, including:
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trauma-informed counselling and psychotherapy
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psychodynamic and Jungian psychotherapy
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Jungian Sandplay Therapy
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person-centred counselling
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attachment-focused therapy
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Emotionally Focused Therapy
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experiential focusing
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EMDR
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body-aware and nervous-system-informed approaches
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relationship and couples counselling
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grief, loss and life-transition support
I do not believe that one therapeutic method is appropriate for every person.
Some clients benefit from reflective conversation and a deeper exploration of their relationships and life story. Others need practical strategies for anxiety, emotional regulation, communication or overwhelming stress.
Some people find that creative, experiential or body-aware approaches help them access and process experiences that cannot easily be reached through cognitive understanding alone.
I adapt the therapeutic process to the person, rather than expecting the person to adapt to a predetermined model of therapy.
Trauma-Informed and Integrative Therapy
Through my trauma-focused work, particularly following the upheaval of the COVID-19 period, I began to integrate Christian counselling and spiritual care more intentionally for clients who wish to explore this dimension of their lives.
For many people, questions of faith, meaning, suffering, identity, forgiveness, belonging and purpose become especially significant during periods of crisis, loss or recovery.
Spirituality may be a source of strength, comfort and hope. It may also be an area of confusion, disappointment or pain—particularly for people who have experienced religious, spiritual or institutional harm.
Christian counselling is therefore offered sensitively, ethically and only in accordance with each client’s beliefs, values and preferences.
I respect the freedom of every person to understand their life, beliefs and spirituality in a way that is authentic and meaningful to them. Clients do not need to hold a Christian faith or any particular spiritual worldview to work with me.
Teaching, Mentoring and Clinical Supervision
Alongside my clinical practice, I have greatly valued opportunities to teach, mentor and support other practitioners.
As a sessional lecturer at Endeavour College of Natural Health, I have taught future health professionals clinical counselling, therapeutic communication, ethical practice and professional relationship skills.
I also provide clinical supervision for counsellors and psychotherapists.
Supervision offers practitioners a supportive and reflective space in which to develop their clinical confidence, deepen their self-awareness and consider the ethical, relational and professional complexities of therapeutic work.
Teaching and supervision continue to enrich my own practice by keeping me engaged with developing research, clinical reflection and the ongoing integration of theory and experience.
Soul Care in Woodend, the Macedon Ranges... and beyond.
Today, I manage Soul Care: Counselling Psychotherapy & Naturopathy, an integrative private practice based in Woodend, Victoria—the town in which I grew up.
I provide in-person counselling and psychotherapy from my Woodend practice and work online with clients throughout regional and rural Victoria.
I support adults, adolescents and couples experiencing concerns such as:
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trauma and complex trauma
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anxiety, depression and emotional overwhelm
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grief, bereavement and significant life changes
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chronic stress, fatigue, pain and burnout
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relationship, attachment and communication difficulties
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shame, self-criticism and difficulties with self-worth
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family and intergenerational patterns
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questions of identity, meaning and purpose
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spiritual concerns, faith transitions and spiritual harm
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the emotional and physical effects of prolonged adversity
My Approach to Healing and Growth
My work is grounded in the belief that meaningful and lasting wellbeing involves the whole person—mind, body, spirit and relationships.
I aim to provide a therapeutic relationship in which clients feel genuinely heard, respected and understood, rather than reduced to symptoms, problems or diagnostic labels.
I believe that even when people have been profoundly affected by trauma, grief or painful relationships, their capacity for connection, meaning, growth and hope has not necessarily been lost.
These capacities may have become hidden beneath protective patterns that once helped the person survive.
Therapy can provide a compassionate and collaborative space in which these patterns are gently understood, difficult experiences are processed, and new possibilities begin to emerge.
It is a privilege to walk alongside each person as they reconnect with their strengths, values and identity and move toward greater understanding, healing, freedom and wholeness.