Kayla Rico (she/her)

PLPC, NCC
Accepting Clients

Hi, I’m Kayla! I’m a queer, trauma-informed therapist helping people heal from the past and build a life that feels like theirs.

Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate in Louisiana
Supervised by Ledora Yerks, LPC-S

Services
  • Individual
  • Couples
  • Adolescent/Teen

About My Clients

I work best with teens and adults navigating trauma, anxiety, relationship concerns, identity, and major life transitions. I especially enjoy working with LGBTQIA+ clients and those healing from abuse, PTSD, military issues, and difficult relationships. If you’re tired of feeling misunderstood or like you have to hide parts of yourself, I want therapy to be a space where you can show up as your whole self.

My Background and Approach

I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor (PLPC) and National Certified Counselor (NCC) with a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I also have a Bachelor's degree in Psychology with a minor in Child & Family Studies. I specialize in clients navigating LGBTQIA+ issues, trauma/PTSD, relationship concerns, and military populations. My approach is integrative, pulling from multiple evidence-based theories depending on what you need, varying from psychoanalysis, CBT, DBT, ACT, and attachment-based therapy. But don't worry, you don’t need to know which approach is right for you. that’s something we can figure out together. My goal is to help you understand patterns beneath the surface that keep showing up and find tools that actually feel useful in your everyday life.

My Personal Beliefs and Interests

As a queer therapist, I also understand how identity, safety, and belonging can shape the way we move through the world and show up in relationships. That can look like learning who you are in different spaces or navigating acceptance/rejection. You do not have to explain or justify any of that here. The way I show up in the therapy room is warm, but direct. I like to get real with you. I am not just sitting back quietly, and I am not here to talk in circles. I will help you slow things down and actually understand what is happening underneath it all, so you can start making sense of patterns that have likely been there for a long time. I'm obsessed with making therapy feel less intimidating. It should feel like a safe, empowering space where you can actually breathe a little. We’ll look at the patterns that keep showing up and start to make sense of them in a way that actually feels usable in real life. You don't need the right words or a clear starting point. Just come as you are!

Techniques I Use

Specialties
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Psychoanalytic
Other Techniques
  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
  • Attachment Theory
  • Exposure Therapy
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
  • Culturally Sensitive Therapy
  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
  • Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
  • Gestalt Therapy
  • Harm Reduction Therapy
  • Narrative Therapy
  • Psychodynamic Therapy
  • Integrative Therapy
  • Metacognitive Therapy
  • Internal Family Systems
  • Trauma Therapy
  • Sex Therapy
  • Cognitive Processing Therapy
  • Relationship Counseling
  • Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)

Issues I Treat

Specialties
LGBTQ-Friendly Therapists Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Relationship Issues
Other Issues
  • Abuse
  • ADHD Therapists
  • Anxiety
  • Attachment
  • Codependency
  • Depression
  • Dissociative Disorders
  • Domestic Violence or Intimate Partner Violence
  • LGBTQ-Friendly Therapists
  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
  • Personality Disorders
  • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  • Relationship Issues
  • Self-Esteem
  • Self-Harm
  • Sexual Abuse or Assault
  • Sexual Problems
  • Suicidal Thoughts
  • Veterans/Military Service
I offer online counseling in the following states:

At A Glance

  • Experience: 2 years of practice
  • Languages: English

Reach out to Kayla