Kayla Porter
Welcome! I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and founder of Sacred Roots Wellness, where I believe healing begins with feeling seen, heard, and understood. I provide a compassionate, collaborative space for individuals and couples to navigate life's challenges, process trauma, strengthen relationships, and reconnect with themselves.
I believe meaningful growth often involves moments of discomfort, and my role is to help you navigate those moments with compassion, honesty, and respect.
My approach honors your unique experiences while supporting meaningful growth, deeper connections, and lasting change. Together, we can nurture the roots of healing and create space for the life and relationships you envision.
First session
Starting therapy can feel intimidating, especially when you're unsure what to expect. Our first session is an opportunity to get to know one another, explore what brings you to therapy, and discuss your hopes and goals. We'll also review what you can expect from our work together, including confidentiality and the therapeutic process. There's no pressure to share everything at once. My hope is that you leave feeling heard, respected, and empowered, with a sense of comfort and confidence as we begin this journey together.
Strengths
I bring warmth, authenticity, curiosity, and a healthy balance of compassion and gentle accountability to my sessions. My approach is collaborative, recognizing that you are the expert on your own experiences while I bring the clinical knowledge and tools to support your growth. Drawing from attachment-based, trauma-informed, and systemic perspectives, I strive to understand not only the challenges you face but also the relationships and experiences that have shaped you. I believe meaningful growth often involves moments of discomfort, and my role is to help you navigate those moments with compassion, honesty, and respect. Above all, I want therapy to feel like a space where you can show up as your authentic self, knowing you will be met with genuine care, curiosity, and without judgment.
Ideal clients
You may feel lost, stuck, hurt, or alone. You may want more joy, calm, trust, or hope. I work with adults and couples who wish to heal, grow, and feel seen. We can look at old pain, new stress, hard talks, and unmet needs. You need not have it all figured out. Just come as you are, and we can begin.
Treatment methods
EMDR
I have completed advanced training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and am currently pursuing certification. I am also seeking specialized mentorship to thoughtfully and ethically integrate EMDR into couples therapy. Beyond EMDR processing, I incorporate EMDR-informed principles throughout my therapeutic work. This includes psychoeducation about the nervous system, drawing from polyvagal-informed concepts to help clients understand how stress and perceived safety can influence emotional, physical, and relational functioning. I also integrate cognitive reframing techniques and somatic resourcing strategies to support emotional regulation, strengthen coping skills, and foster greater self-awareness. My goal is to help clients understand not only what they are experiencing, but also how their minds and bodies respond to those experiences, empowering them to navigate challenges with greater compassion and confidence.
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
I incorporate principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help clients approach their lived experiences with greater acceptance, curiosity, and self-compassion. Rather than viewing difficult emotions or past experiences as something that must be eliminated or overcome, I encourage clients to recognize and honor their experiences without allowing them to define their identity or limit their growth. Through this approach, we explore ways to reduce self-judgment, develop psychological flexibility, and make meaningful choices that align with personal values. I believe healing is not about erasing our experiences, but learning to hold them with compassion while creating space for growth, connection, and a fulfilling life.
Attachment-based
I incorporate attachment-based principles to help individuals and couples explore how early relationships and lived experiences influence their sense of safety, trust, connection, and emotional well-being. Our attachment experiences can shape how we communicate our needs, respond to conflict, establish boundaries, and navigate vulnerability within relationships. Through a compassionate, collaborative approach, I help clients recognize relational patterns, understand the needs and emotions beneath their responses, and develop healthier ways of connecting with themselves and others. Rather than assigning blame or labeling attachment styles as inherently good or bad, we approach these patterns with curiosity and compassion. My goal is to help clients recognize that while our past relationships may shape how we connect, they do not have to determine the quality of our future relationships. With greater awareness, intentionality, and emotional safety, meaningful change and deeper connections are possible.
Location
Virtual sessions