About Laura Cecil, M.A., LAC
Licensed Associate Counselor · Conway, Arkansas
I'm a Licensed Associate Counselor practicing in Conway, Arkansas, and my work centers on couples.
That focus wasn't accidental. Relationship distress is one of the most reliable predictors of a person's overall wellbeing, and it is also one of the most treatable, provided there is room for the uncomfortable thing to be said out loud. Couples work asks something different of a therapist than individual work does. You're holding two nervous systems, two histories, and a shared story that each person remembers a little differently. I find it the most interesting work there is.
I chose to specialize rather than generalize. Doing couples work well requires doing it constantly, and I'd rather be genuinely good at one thing than adequate at nine. I keep my caseload small enough that I'm actually thinking about your relationship between appointments.
Training
- Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy, The King's University (Southlake, Texas)
- Bachelor's degree, Texas Woman's University
- Licensed Associate Counselor, State of Arkansas (#A2411017)
- Level 1 Training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy
- EMDR trained
- Practicing under the supervision of Derrick White, LPC-S (#P1905056)
As an associate-level clinician, I practice under board-approved supervision. In practical terms this means my work is reviewed regularly by an experienced supervisor, a second set of eyes on your case, which I consider an advantage rather than a caveat.
What you can expect from me
I'm warm, and clients also tell me I call things out. Both are true, and I don't think they're in tension. Being genuinely on your side means I'm not going to nod along while something happens in front of me that seems worth naming. If I notice one of you doing something that reliably ends the conversation, I'll say so gently, and I'll say it to both of you, because there is almost always a matching move on the other side.
Nothing I name is a verdict. It's an observation, offered for you to look at, and you're free to tell me I've got it wrong. You know your life far better than I do. I'd rather say the thing and be corrected than sit on it and let us both pretend.
I don't take sides and I won't tell you whether to stay married. That decision is yours, and my job is to make sure you're making it with good information rather than in the middle of the worst week you've had.
I'll also tell you if I don't think I'm the right fit. There are excellent clinicians in Conway with different specialties, and a referral in the first month is a much better outcome than a year of therapy that isn't going anywhere.
Why "Cardigan"
Because of what a cardigan actually is: the favorite one you reach for without thinking, comforting, and unmistakably yours. Therapy asks a great deal of people. It asks you to say things out loud you may never have said to anyone, sometimes with the person most affected sitting a few feet away. My hope is that this room makes that a little more possible, and that you can arrive exactly as you are, on whatever kind of day you're having, without having to perform being fine first.
Ready to start?
I'm accepting new clients for in-person sessions in Conway and telehealth across Arkansas.