This is Our Story
Novia McLaren is the owner and founder of My Story Counseling, LLC. She is a brilliant therapist who strives to help others with maintaining a healthy mind. Her passion and dedication to mental health, allowed her to turn her dream into a reality, thus bringing My Story Counseling to life! After working with various organizations, Novia decided to fulfill her dream of opening her own private practice, now a group practice, adding a new chapter to her own story!
Novia is a compassionate and competent therapist, with over seven years of experience working with teens, parents, adults and families. She is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy, Multi-Dimensional Family Therapy (MDFT), as well as adheres to CBT and Mindfulness Interventions. EMDR is a specialized form of therapy that is a highly researched and highly effective way to rapidly resolve issues big or small. Her unique approach ensures that her clients will receive high quality treatment and the appropriate tools to begin writing a new chapter with a healthy mind.
Novia McLaren received her undergraduate degree from Saint Joseph College in West Hartford, CT, where she worked in a variety of settings with different populations. She then went on to achieve her masters degree from the University of Saint Josephs in Marriage and Family Therapy in 2012. She has been licensed for the past seven years and for the past 5 years she has been in private practice where she has received specialized trainings in EMDR, Immigration evaluation, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Mindfulness practices.
The mission of My Story Counseling is to promote the mental health and well-being for all individuals and families, in particular BIPOC individuals and families, as well as to promote healthy lifestyles free from addictions and maladaptive coping mechanisms. We are Multicultural and Multilingual. We live in a diverse and multicultural society. My Story Counseling embraces individuals from all walks of life, with diverse and varied backgrounds. Our staff includes a team of therapists who are Middle Eastern, African American and European American, thereby allowing clients the freedom to choose someone who represents their own style and culture.