I’m Dr. Stella Lerlo, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with a Doctorate in Marriage and Family Therapy (DMFT), specializing in trauma-informed care, attachment-based therapy, and equine-assisted psychotherapy. I work with individuals, couples, and families who are navigating life’s challenges, from relationship issues and emotional distress to deeper struggles rooted in trauma or attachment wounds. I serve a diverse range of clients, including those dealing with anxiety, depression, relationship conflicts, and trauma recovery. Through evidence-based therapeutic approaches, including Polyvagal Theory and the EAGALA Model, I guide my clients toward healing and greater emotional resilience. My goal is to help clients break free from the patterns that hold them back, foster healthier relationships, and build a more secure and fulfilling life. By providing a compassionate, safe space, I empower my clients to understand their emotional world and create lasting change, ultimately transforming their relationship with themselves and others.
In our first session, the focus will be on getting to know you, understanding your current concerns, and exploring what brings you to therapy. It will be a relaxed and open conversation where you have the space to share your story at your own pace. We’ll discuss your personal history, relationships, and any specific challenges or goals you’d like to work on. I will ask questions to gain a better understanding of your emotional, mental, and relational landscape, and I’ll also invite you to share any questions or concerns you have about the therapy process. This session is about creating a safe, non-judgmental space where we can start to build a trusting therapeutic relationship. By the end of our first meeting, we’ll have a clearer sense of how we can work together, and I’ll suggest a treatment plan tailored to your needs. Whether it’s exploring past trauma, relationship patterns, or developing coping strategies, this session is the first step on a collaborative journey toward healing and growth. I encourage you to be as open as you feel comfortable, and know that there is no rush—our work together will move at a pace that feels right for you.
I’m a highly trained and experienced Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with a Doctorate in Marriage and Family Therapy (DMFT), specializing in trauma-informed care and attachment-based therapy. My certifications in EAGALA and Polyvagal Equine-Assisted Therapy provide me with unique, experiential approaches to healing, particularly through equine-assisted therapy. I work with a diverse range of clients, helping them navigate trauma, relationship issues, and emotional challenges by fostering deep connections and offering holistic, personalized care. My blend of advanced education, trauma expertise, and innovative therapeutic methods allows me to create meaningful, lasting change in my clients' lives.
The clients I am best fit for are likely those who are open to deep emotional work, motivated to heal from past wounds and committed to personal growth and transformation. These clients may include individuals, couples, and First Responders who are struggling with trauma, attachment issues, or relationship conflicts, and who seek meaningful, lasting change in their lives.
Attachment-based
My approach to therapy is deeply informed by attachment theory, which has been an integral part of my work as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). Over the years, I have helped individuals, couples, and families understand how their early attachment experiences shape their relational patterns, emotional regulation, and sense of self. I regularly draw on attachment-based frameworks in my practice to support clients in developing secure attachments and healing from attachment-related wounds. In my work, I often use attachment-based therapy to explore clients' early relationships with primary caregivers and how these influence their present-day interactions. I integrate this with trauma-informed approaches such as Polyvagal Theory and Equine-Assisted Therapy (EAGALA model) to provide clients with a holistic treatment experience that addresses both the emotional and somatic aspects of attachment I begin by assessing clients’ attachment styles through detailed intake interviews, using questions that explore their childhood relationships, caregiving environments, and current relational patterns. I also utilize structured assessments when needed to identify attachment-related behaviors and concerns. I strive to build trust with clients by being attuned, consistent, and responsive, ensuring that they feel safe to explore past attachment injuries and their effects on current relationships. I often use this relationship as a reparative experience, especially for clients with insecure or disorganized attachment styles. With the client, I explore how their attachment style manifests in present-day relationships. We look for patterns of anxiety, avoidance, or disorganization, and I help clients understand the roots of these behaviors. I also guide them in identifying how their attachment-related fears or defenses impact their relationships with partners, family members, or others. Given my training in Polyvagal Equine-Assisted Therapy, I help clients connect their attachment-related responses to their nervous system states. This involves exploring how attachment insecurity can activate fight, flight, or freeze responses. I work with clients to identify these physiological responses and develop self-regulation techniques to promote safety and connection in relationships. The horses are used to serve as mirrors of clients’ attachment dynamics. Clients can gain insight into their relational patterns by observing and interacting with the horses. Horses provide immediate, non-verbal feedback, helping clients recognize how they approach trust, intimacy, and emotional regulation. These experiential sessions help clients practice new ways of relating in a safe, supportive environment. Much of my work focuses on healing attachment wounds. This includes helping clients reprocess past traumas or relational ruptures. The goal is to help clients integrate these experiences so they can develop more secure, trusting relationships. For clients who have experienced neglect, abandonment, or inconsistent caregiving, this repair work is central to the therapeutic process. I help clients develop skills for fostering secure attachment in their current relationships. This includes teaching them how to communicate their needs and emotions effectively, build trust, and navigate relational challenges. I emphasize the importance of vulnerability, empathy, and emotional attunement in fostering deeper connections.