Megan O’Laughlin, LICSW, MFA
Hi, I’m Megan.
My pronouns are she/they.
I am a writer, clinical supervisor, and psychotherapist. I work with helpers and creatives to move from burnout and depletion into engagement and contentment. I also provide clinical supervision and professional consultations. I live and work on the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington State.
I believe in transformations and growth. They’ve been a big part of my life and they can be a big part of yours, too.
You might be curious about why I do this and how I approach things. My hope is that you can read here to get a good sense of who I am so you can discern if I could be a good therapist for you. Please, read on!
What is holistic + integrative therapy all about?
I believe the therapeutic approach should be as unique as the person in therapy.
I am trained in multiple evidence-based therapeutic approaches. Working together, we will decide the best course of action to move forward based on your learning style, goals, and preferences.
Some things to know about me, my practice, and my approach:
I’ve often noted that transformation arises from discomfort, and we often have to push ourselves in challenging ways in order to grow. This can feel very difficult, and it is a great reason to have therapeutic support. It takes a lot of courage to lean into specific challenges, or to accept things that are incredibly painful. Within the therapy space, we will take this work at a pace that works for you.
Therapy is only one way of finding support. While it can be transformative and necessary to have individualized support, it may also be helpful and necessary to seek out community-based support, as well. We will often incorporate these ideas in our discussions because we do not heal alone.
Finding joy in a broken world is no easy task, and yet that is what we are here to do. In life, will all be challenged to find meaning and purpose, which is quite different from becoming lost in misery or avoiding reality. This approach can be quite revolutionary as it encourages us to stay engaged and to not give in to oppression, overwhelm, and other forms of defeat. We may pull from inspiration, spiritual practice, self-compassion, community care, and other methods to help with this. I believe this type of awareness and engagement is one of the most important things we can do in the therapy space.
I’m an active and collaborative therapist. I will engage in discussions with you, offer my ideas and perspectives, and challenge you sometimes, too (in a kind way, of course). People have told me that they feel safe and understood in our sessions.
I have a warm, interactive approach. I don’t just write in my notebook and say “mmm hmm,” and people have told me they find this helpful. While I take your concerns and your goals quite seriously, I’m also a goofball, and that aspect of my personality will probably come up in sessions sometimes. I love to read, watch movies, listen to podcasts, so I’m constantly recommending things iyou’re into that.
Really, there’s no need for stiffness or putting on airs with me. I encourage you to bring the complexity and layers of who you are into our sessions.
My Style
My own
Self-Care
I do my best to walk the talk. I’m honest about it, too— I’m not going to pretend like I have everything figured out—we are all a work in progress. I might sometimes share things with you for the sake of validation, like that I can also struggle to balance everything in my life, and maybe I’ll share a story about that sometime. That said, it’s your session and the focus is on you. If you’re a person who is often looking out for others, I want you to know that you don’t have to worry if I am okay because I am doing my work.
People I work with tend to have the following things in common:
They are ready to do the work, whatever that may entail, and are looking for support for the process. This might mean an openness to trying new things, or even just a willingness to share what’s been going on.
They are willing to go against the grain, and outside of the comfort zone in order to address the things they are interested in changing in their lives. It’s not always comfortable to change things, and having support for this is so valuable.
They are interested in discovering aspects of themselves outside of what they think/ what their minds tell them. There is so much more to each of us than just what we think. We may explore things like physical sensations, values, practices, and more.
My Credentials
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I am a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker in Washington State. #LW60222786 since 2011
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Focus on Clinical and Contextual Practice
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Focus on Creative Nonfiction Writing
Education & Certifications
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I’ve worked in private practice for over 10 years, working with adults, teens, and families.
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I worked in Residential Treatment and also in other higher level of care facilities prior to private practice (including in eating disorder treatment programs).
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I’ve also worked in Community Mental Health, in schools, and prior to becoming a therapist I taught yoga classes, worked in bookstores, walked dogs, and served with The Peace Corps in The Gambia for two years.
Professional Background
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These therapies focus on building coping skills, regulating emotions, setting clear goals, and tuning into the present moment
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With training in somatic approaches as well as mindfulness techniques, we can learn to calm the nervous system, understand our responses to different siutations, and facilitate mind/ body connection
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Narrative therapy is a non-pathologizing perspective that helps you become an expert in your own life.
Modalities Used
About Bodhi
Bodhi is my therapy-dog-in-training, a young golden retriever who loves sleeping under the therapy sofa, saying hi to everyone, and going on car rides to the beach. When he’s in the office with me, he’ll gladly greet you during a telehealth session if you’d like. If we’re meeting in person, we’ll discuss if Bodhi’s presence will be helpful or not.
