Ms. Laura Swinford studied psychology and social work at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. While there, she received both her Bachelor of Arts and her Master’s in social work. She has served in the field of family mental health services for 20 years, and is also a published research author.
Ms. Swinford believes in connection and relationship as she journeys through life. She is a certified EMDR therapist and EMDR Consultant through the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA) https://www.emdria.org/. Ms. Swinford is also a registered Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP). She provides frequent training for the rest of the clinical staff at Spencer.
In her previous career, Ms. Swinford was an adjunct professor at University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, where she taught evidence-based treatment to master’s level students. She also taught English as a Second Language (ESL) in Greece for grades kindergarten through college. Ms. Swinford has a deep love of animals, trains dogs, and is a Canine Good Citizen (CGC) evaluator.
In addition to her therapy work, she is the owner of Bloomington’s Know Yoga Know Peace. This is a virtual studio, operating during the Covid crisis with pro bono and donation-based classes. Instagram-follow @kykpbloomington as she announces class times, then email kykpbloomington@gmail.com to get the invitation. New students are welcome. She also teaches at the Hot Room in Bloomington https://thehotroom.com/bloomington-studio/.
Ms. Swinford loves being in the woods with her pup Matilda and enjoys the company of her friends and family. She loves when friends, family, and her dog all come together to join her in her yoga practice.