who I am and what I care about

Laura Valenstein, LICSW, MSW, CYT

I strive to empower those I work with to access self-care, advocacy and connection, through celebrating our intrinsic strengths and imagination. I integrate mindfulness and nature, play and creativity, somatic movement, and breath work into my practice. “Nourishing With Nature” practices promote practices of daily wellness and healing, through integration of mind-body yogic guidance, clinical therapeutic approaches and the holistic exploration of nature.

Understanding and tending to ourself (inner-ecosystem) alongside the living world (outer-ecosystem) allow us to develop attunement and connection to navigate stressors that may arise in our day to day. A human’s ecosystem of the self is built through experiences, beliefs and relationships. Learning from ways of being - written or through story- from those who came centuries before us, allow us to develop greater connection to experiences, the land and ourselves.

I am grateful for my teachers, experiences and opportunities that have inspired my practices of holistic perspectives for navigating the world.

My background & influences

    • Lesley University | Graduate Certificate The Lesley Institute for Trauma Sensitivity (LIFTS).

    • Boston College School of Social Work | Masters of Social Work, Clinical student with Children, Youth and Families concentration.

    • Villanova University | Bachelor’s in Psychology and Elementary Education Certificate

    • On-going continuous studies as a dedicated practitioner with my teacher, Laura Ahrens-James

    • 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training at The New School of Yogic Arts under Laura Ahrens-James, Goldie Graham, Tatyana Souza, and Andrew Tanner.

    • Therapeutic Yoga Training for Those Treating Children with Trauma History with Joanne Lloyd.

    • Foundations of Trauma-Informed Yoga with Alex Bauermeister.

    • Yoga therapy training and practicum with Alex Bauermeister.

    • The Center for Trauma Embodiment's Foundational Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga program.

    • Coaching for Embodied Therapists program with Kate Graham.

    • Meditation Master Class with Davidji.

    • Deep Play Kids yoga and meditation training with Missy Brown.

    • Rooted Herbalism: The Balanced Herbal Foundations program

    • Learning From The Living Land: Foundational course in home herbalism & ecological gardening, based upon the Wheel of the Year

      Continuous Studies:

    • International Herbal Symposium Learning Center

    • Herbarium from the Herbal Academy

    • United Plant Savers

    • Mass Audubon Society

    • Protect Ancient Forests

    • Robin Wall Kimmerer

    • Learn your Land with Adam Haritan’s lectures

    • LICSW (Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker)

    • CNIT (Center for Nature Informed Therapy) Advanced Training for Attachment and Trauma

    • CNIT (Center for Nature Informed Therapy) Nature-based Internal Family Systems Advanced Training

    • MBSR (Mindfulness based stress reduction)

    • Colorado Ecotherapy Institute: Training in the study and practice of Ecotherapy, Development, Attachment & Gestalt

    • The Sacred Alchemy of Creating Your Offering, Tracee Stanley

    • I have spent over a decade working with multiple public school systems as an educator and as a counselor. I enjoy collaborating with my students, staff & caregivers to learn from perspectives and backgrounds. (DESE Adjustment Counselor license)

    • Stanley Greenspan Floor time Play Therapy

My Roots

I come from a family of educators, healers, and community-involved people. I am a continuous learner, a dedicated mind-body yogi, a gardener and pet mama. Weaving all these threads created a tapestry of a Social Worker, therapeutically inspired yoga teacher, and earth advocate! I know on a personal level how vital the living world and nature is for wellness, healing and development. I am thankful for time outside; foraging and gardening, and exploring many different forms of art inspired by nature. People have been learning from the natural world and honoring yogic practices for centuries, and I believe that these teachings offer vitalizing benefits for mind-body health & wellness.