Clara Mackinlay

RYT, MA, AMFT
Accepting Clients

Somatic Experiencing® therapist, certified psychedelic integration coach, therapeutic touch and Reiki practitioner, and yoga instructor.

Marriage and Family Therapist Associate in Pasadena, CA
Supervised by Leah Smith, LMFT #123783

About My Clients

I specialize in supporting women ages 20+ who are ready to go beyond surface-level healing and embrace a holistic, mind-body-spirit approach. My clients know healing is a journey, not a quick fix, and they’re committed to creating lasting change. Most have a history of trauma (often sexual trauma), are navigating major life transitions, integrating psychedelic experiences, or feeling disconnected from themselves, and they’re seeking a deeply embodied path to healing.

My Background and Approach

I believe that real healing is holistic, so therapy should be too. My approach is rooted in extensive specialized training and combines talk therapy, body/sensation-awareness (somatic therapy), therapeutic touch, psychoeducation, and Eastern healing modalities like Reiki and yoga. With my background in Somatic Experiencing and other trauma-focused body-oriented modalities, I help clients complete self-protective (fight-or-flight) responses that couldn’t happen at the time of trauma (that then turned into freeze/dissociation). By tapping into the body’s innate wisdom, we can guide the nervous system out of chronic states of being triggered, dissociated, anxious, or depressed and into greater presence, connection, and authenticity. For many clients, this somatic approach provides a deeper sense of release and integration than talk therapy alone. I create a safe, supportive space to explore the tender places in your past and present, allowing you to heal and step fully into your power.

My Personal Beliefs and Interests

I believe we all deserve to feel deeply connected to our true selves—free from the weight of our past and empowered to create lives that reflect our authentic needs and desires. Until we address traumatic experiences, living a fully embodied, open-hearted, deeply connected, soul-enriching life isn’t possible. I know this from my own journey and from what I witness in my practice every day. I believe that in order to heal it, we must feel it and that the only way out is through—we must go to the source of our wounding, sit with the pain, trust that we are resourced, loved, and supported, and move through it to be fully free from what holds us back. My approach is not about prescribing quick solutions that only address symptoms, it's about going to the root of the issue and healing for good. I believe in the innate healing wisdom of the body, in the power of plants and plant medicine, and in the ability of food, water, sunlight, movement, and connection to heal us.

I offer online counseling in the following states:

At A Glance

  • Experience: 1 year of practice
  • Languages: English
  • Rate: $175 - 200/session

Reach out to Clara