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About Us
More Than “Talk” Therapy
Aurora Counseling & Well-Being is a leading trauma-informed group practice serving Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley from our Harrisonburg and Staunton locations.
Our work is relational, attachment-based, somatic, and trauma-informed, helping clients understand not only their stories, but the patterns, relationships, emotional responses, and survival adaptations that continue to shape their lives.
Our clinicians work with concerns including trauma and adverse life experiences, attachment and inner-child wounds, relationship conflict and repair, repeating painful patterns, identity and self-trust, emotional and nervous-system regulation, grief, loss, and life transitions.
We offer individual, couples, family, and group therapy, along with psychoeducation, workshops, trauma trainings, and professional consultation. Our goal is to help each person find care that feels thoughtful, collaborative, and aligned with what they are actually needing. Not a one-size-fits-all approach.
Take some time to explore our clinicians and services to learn more about Aurora and the way we work. If you are interested in beginning therapy, we would be happy to help connect you with the clinician who best fits your needs.
Trauma does not happen in isolation—and healing should not either.
Our Clinicians
We understand the importance of the therapeutic relationship, which starts with finding a clinician that's a great fit for you. At Aurora Counseling, we have several dedicated, empathetic, and experienced clinicians to help you on your journey. Click on the clinician's name to learn more about them and how to schedule with them!
Ph.D, LPC, CTS, and Owner
Dr. Laura Copley, Ph.D, LPC, is a trauma specialist and relationship expert who helps people break free from toxic relationship cycles, rebuild self-trust, and create authentic connections. With advanced training in Somatic Therapy, Emotion-Focused Therapy, Brainspotting, EMDR, and Internal Family Systems (IFS), she blends cutting-edge neuroscience with intuitive, personalized therapy for deep and lasting change. As the author of Loving You is Hurting Me and host of Tough Love with Dr. Laura Copley, she challenges outdated narratives about trauma and empowers clients to heal, grow, and build lives they actually want to live.
LPC, CCTP, C-DBT
Austin Francis, LPC, is certified in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (C-DBT), is a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP), is a certified HeartMath Biofeedback Clinical Professional, and holds a certificate in Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy. Austin also is trained in trauma-focused equine assisted psychotherapy (TF-EAP) and offers equine assisted sessions as an add-on to office-based work.
LPC
Sarah Thomas is a Licensed Professional Counselor and new hire at Aurora Counseling! She has in-depth experience working with children, adolescents, and adults healing from trauma and navigating anxiety, depression, ADHD, mood disorders, relational stress, and life transitions. With experience across school-based, in-home, and outpatient settings, she brings a warm, client-centered approach that helps clients feel supported, understood, and empowered throughout the healing process. Sarah specializes in supporting perinatal and reproductive mental health concerns, including infertility, pregnancy loss, and postpartum adjustment.