Professional Testimonials

Laila is a wise and loving teacher who offers wonderful support for body, heart, and mind.

Jack Kornfield, Ph.D.
Author of A Path With Heart and dozens of other publications. Founder of Spirit Rock Center.

Laila is a warm, kind soul who is deeply committed to bringing mindfulness and self-compassion into the world. She is well-trained and has the hands-on experience needed to help people open their minds and hearts.

Kristin Neff, Ph.D.
Author of the books Self-Compassion and Fierce Self-Compassion. She is also the Co-Developer of Mindful Self-Compassion.

I had the privilege of seeing Laila work during a MSC training in Africa. She is deeply committed to cultivating connection and compassion around the globe and she does it fearlessly. Laila understands at a deep personal level the healing power of compassion and brings it to everything she does. I wholeheartedly encourage anyone interested in this path to spend some time with Laila.

Christopher Germer, Ph.D.
Lecturer (part-time), Harvard Medical School. Co-developer, Mindful Self-Compassion. Author of The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion: Freeing Yourself From Destructive Thoughts and Emotions.

Laila Narsi and I have worked together for many years. I have the upmost confidence in the therapeutic services she is going to provide. Not only is Laila caring, she is highly skilled. She offers a variety of psychotherapeutic modalities such as mindfulness, cognitive behavioral therapy, EMDR Therapy and hypnosis to help individuals. From my professional opinion, I highly recommend Laila Narsi.

Kimberly K Cress, M.D., Psychiatrist in Private Practice

I have known Laila and her work since 2005. She utilizes a variety of psychotherapeutic modalities such as Mindfulness, EMDR Therapy, and hypnosis, allowing her to treat extremely challenging cases. Laila is a knowledgeable and compassionate therapist that I highly recommend.

Uri Bergmann, Ph.D.
Former President of EMDRIA, author of 
Neurobiological Foundations For EMDR Practice

The Mindful Self–Compassion program is a beautiful vehicle for Laila Narsi’s skills as a teacher and a therapist. In her wise and well–trained hands, MSC becomes a means of transformation for participants seeking a way to move through and beyond difficult histories and challenging emotions. Laila is a warm and engaging person whose strength lies in a solid background and experience in trauma therapy and a deep immersion in the personal and transformational practice of mindfulness, compassion and self–compassion.

Steven Hickman, Psy.D.
Executive Director, Center For Mindful Self-Compassion and author of the book Self-Compassion For Dummies

I feel so honored to know Laila. She is wise, grounded, knowledgeable, and I am thrilled that she is teaching our teen self-compassion program. She is an exemplar teacher, and any teen would be lucky to be guided by her wisdom and her kind heart.

Karen Bluth, Ph.D.
Author of The Self-Compassionate Teen and The Self-Compassion Workbook for Teens, Co-Developer of Making Friends With Yourself (MFY), Assistant Professor at University of North Carolina

Laila Narsi is a wise, empathetic therapist with superior training and skills. Her multi–faceted approach involves creatively partnering with the client to assist in alleviating issues. Her approach initiates from a positive framework and many years of clinical experience. I highly regard her abilities as a therapist and more importantly as a caring guide on the client’s journey toward wholeness and wellness.

Randy Rice, M.A., O.T.R.

Laila is a knowledgeable and compassionate therapist, willing to learn and connect with her clients. She keeps abreast of the most cutting edge approaches to creating lasting therapeutic change.

Carol Kershaw, Ed.D & Bill Wade, Ph.D.
The Milton Erickson Institute of Houston

I have worked with Laila since 2005. She has treated some very challenging cases. I have seen my patients achieve significant insight to their underlying issues. She utilizes a multitude of specialized treatment techniques which can address my patients’ individual needs.

Penny Chow, M.D., Psychiatrist in Private Practice

In Africa, we believe nothing happens by chance but by the works of a super natural being we call NGAI (God), in my first language of Kikuyu in Central Kenya. Meeting Laila Narsi in February 2018 in Kenya during MSC (Mindful Self Compassion) training was such an amazing divine connection. This beautiful warm hearted woman has left a legacy in Kenya and Africa by extension as a beacon of hope and love beyond mindful self compassion. She is the offspring of hope and love!

Dr. Susan Gitau
Lecturer and Psychotherapist in Nairobi, Kenya

Client & Participant Testimonials

(Some names have been changed to preserve confidentiality.)

I am a living example of the success that good therapy can provide. Laila made me feel supported in a very important way during the process of coming out later in life, as well dealing with earlier childhood issues. Her style of interaction is very perceptive, holistic, and non-judgmental; and her support is tailored to the unique situation. I have worked with other therapists in the past and never had the results, clarity, and insight, that I achieved with Laila.

I went from a self destructive, unhappy, train wreck of an individual to a much more balanced, centered, productive, happy person. Her loving and supportive guidance really helped me learn a lot more about myself and why I reacted to certain situations in the way that I did. It helped me be conscious of my actions in a way that has proven to be a useful life tool.

I told Laila at one time that if she never helped another person, that she needed to know that she helped me in a hugely impactful way. I feel that she not only saved my life, she gave me my life back.

Abigail

Laila has totally changed my life and brought me back to peace, happiness and, finally, a kindness to myself that I have never experienced before. I am finally home. She brings kindness and true empathy to your issues and to your situation.

I admire and appreciate everything and every way she helped me. Laila is always seeking new knowledge and perspectives in her continuing education and practice. She has a gift for being in tune with what you need and together you forge a true partnership to overcome the trauma and the emotional pain that can be crippling.

My admiration and deep gratitude to Laila comes completely from her compassionate, experience and knowledge that she so generously shares in our sessions. She is one of the most remarkable people I have had the opportunity to know and the great gift to work with. She exudes kindness and gentle intuitive guidance to the other side of trauma or issues. I can never thank her enough.

Sarah A.

If you want to feel safe, understood, and heard, Laila Narsi is the authentic professional to seek out. The dedication to her craft through ongoing education and training, certifications, and cutting-edge therapy modalities is highly respected. Her toolbox is overflowing and very helpful in treating and guiding one to be able to overcome obstacles and be more authentic in every aspect of life.

Her joy in paying it forward to others through one-on-one treatment, free offerings, mindfulness teaching and workshops, and global offerings is inspiring and example-setting. I am grateful for the blessings she has given me and highly recommend all her services.

Kari

Laila Narsi was my therapist during one of the most challenging years of my life. I knew she could help me from the moment I first walked into her office. Laila is compassionate, ethical and wise, allowing you the time to figure things out for yourself, while also gently encouraging and guiding you to solutions.

The EMDR Therapy method she uses as part of her practice was highly effective for me, and helped me overcome a lifelong anxiety issue. I highly recommend Laila to anyone who’s looking for a real and lasting positive change in their life.

Sarah

Laila is one of the most generous and skilled group teacher/facilitators I have had the pleasure of experiencing. I just completed her Mindful Self-Compassion course and deeply appreciate how well-structured the course was and how well she used the Zoom platform. Most of all, her gracious manner gives compassion “street cred.” Her soothing voice, gentle inquiry, heartfelt responses to questions, and personal transparency created a container for participants of widely varying backgrounds to experience the material and share at their own comfort level. I would take any program Laila offered!

Rivkah

Laila not only is very professional but helped us workout our problem step by step in a very logical manner. Our marital problem got to the point where we had completely given up hope and was at a point of breaking especially as it involved infidelity and the only way to save this marriage was to see was there any other issue that led to such a mess.

Laila helped us immensely first by meeting us together a few times and then separate sessions. Initially, sitting together in a room would always be emotional and loud but it was important. Laila’s method was non-bias and that was good but the way she helped us see the root cause of our marital problem was very effective. I would recommend her to everyone who has issues of any sort.

Natasha

I don’t know where to begin in explaining how much Laila has helped me over the past year. I have completely changed how I approach situations and what I take from my daily experiences. I am more at peace with myself than I have ever been despite many stressful circumstances I have recently faced-unemployment, relationships and health issues. I cannot thank her enough.

Rachel

I spent 45 years of my life tormented by the trauma of childhood sexual and emotional abuse. I felt paralyzed by my panic attacks, fear of leaving my house, nightmares, severe depression, cutting, and constant thought of killing myself. My abuse left me feeling unworthy of love and acceptance from others. After years of trying various different therapists, psychiatrists, and medications, I had started believing that a life of misery was all I deserved.

Hope came in the form of a compassionate therapist, Laila Narsi. Today, I am panic free and able to work productively, laugh with my new friends, sleep well at night, and realize that I deserve a happy safe life for years to come. Most of all, I finally have peace inside. Laila saved my life.

Mary

Laila didn’t just help me change my life. She walked with me as I changed it. She is safe and trustworthy, with simply amazing insight. While sexual addiction was what brought me to Laila, she quickly saw the underlying problem was the borderline personality disorder. Notoriously difficult to treat, her patience, care, and insight pulled me through. Should I ever feel the need for additional counseling, Laila will be the first person I call.

Neo

I can honestly say that Laila Narsi saved my life and helped me out of a very terrifying depression, anger, and anxiety.

Nancy

Through in depth analysis, Laila identifies the key issues and develops a plan to help you achieve your desired goals. Her demeanor makes her a natural at her work. She is warm and genuine. You can immediately take comfort in knowing that you’ve got one of the best on your side. I have recommended her to others.

Kim

Laila’s professionalism helped to bring me out from the dark in a very comforting way. Having been injured in a serious motor vehicle accident, I had anxiety related to post traumatic stress disorder and an unwillingness to drive again and to return to work.

Laila’s step-by-step Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy was very effective in helping me to put aside my fears, my thoughts, and my worries. Moreover, her warm voice, her patience, understanding, and encouragement made me feel very relaxed in her office, allowing me to concentrate more during my therapy sessions.

The EMDR Therapy I received from Laila was crucial to my need to regain a normal life. I highly recommend Laila to those who need psychotherapy, especially EMDR Therapy.”

Jennifer

Laila’s MSC course was a truly amazing experience! All the skills we learned were evidence-based and we were given an explanation of the science behind it. The community and space this course provides are warm and accepting and I would highly recommend this course to anyone!

Alicia

I have known Laila Narsi as a therapist and a mindfulness teacher. She helped me through the roughest part of my life when both my mother and my husband died of cancer within a year. I felt like an orphan because I was the oldest one left in my family, and I had no one I felt comfortable sharing my grief with. I was 63 years old and had never been to a therapist. But I knew I needed someone to talk to.

Laila has such a lovely warm accepting presence that I felt free to talk to her without restraint. Therapy was very helpful to me but what has made the most impact in my life are the mindfulness courses I have taken from her. This fall when I got an email from Laila about a mindful self compassion course I was eager to sign up. I remember Laila saying to me one time in therapy, you have so much compassion for the world and so little for yourself. This course has truly been a blessing to me. I look forward with joy to every session. Self compassion is a difficult concept for me to practice alone because I have been raised to always serve others before myself. I also have a very critical inner voice that walks with me every day.

From the very first session I could tell that this course would be a live-savior in today’s world of isolation and fear. Laila created a warm safe space for our international group of participants. Each session has been smoothly organized with time for practices and reflection. I leave those sessions with a feeling that I am at peace with myself and I am strengthened by being centered and grounded. I literally have told almost everyone I know about the MSC course. So many of my friends could be helped by the practice of mindful self-compassion. I wish they all could have the experience of taking a course from Laila.

Amber

I have been participating in MSC classes for several months now. I find the depth of teachings and the guided practice that Laila shares in her sessions a special and real  way to replenish my heart. Laila has an incredibly gifted, soft approach in her guidance and her voice is able to bring out with ease a connection and a tenderness to reach one’s self compassion banks. I have received so much from taking part in her practices that I will rearrange my day to make sure I can attend the practice and not miss her generous giving and support.

Ozzy Girl

I met Laila Narsi back in late 2017 through another therapist who highly recommended her for severe trauma therapy. Since then I have come a long way on the road of healing with her. Apart from using psychotherapy and EMDR, I  attended various Mindful Self-Compassion courses face to face in her studio as well as live online courses.

I am so grateful to have participated as these courses help me to respond/meet difficult emotions that may arise with greater understanding and compassion. I learned to allow the emotion and almost befriend or put it away for later. I leaned to pay attention what I need at the moment and take care of myself. The mindfulness aspect has taught me to bring myself to the present using my five senses. I now enjoy the gifts of nature in my garden, mesmerized by the visits of bees, the touch of soil, the various colors which I have never truly know to exist as I do now.

I find Laila gifted with wisdom, empathy and generosity with added gift of gentle, calm, soothing grounded voice to lead these classes. Truly she has been a blessing in my life and I highly recommend MSC with her.

Mary

International Mindfulness Teachers Association
Center for Mindful Self-Compassion
Verified by Psychology Today
International Mindfulness Teachers Association
Center for Mindful Self-Compassion
Verified by Psychology Today