Lara Farrokh, MSW, LCSW

Audubon Office 

Lara is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 15 years of experience working with vulnerable populations, especially those that have walked the path of trauma, addiction, anxiety, or loving someone that has had struggles with an addiction. 

The root of the problem for many of us is the difficulty in loving ourselves and allowing ourselves to be loved by others. Those that carry a past of addiction and trauma are often burdened by feelings of shame and self-criticism. Lara aims to help clients make room for acceptance and healing so that a new, brighter chapter can begin. Drawing on approaches such as Motivational Interviewing and EMDR Therapy, Lara supports the process of reflection without remaining stuck in the past. Once healing can take place, there is more room for living one’s purpose in the present and taking a new road towards the future. 

Your task is not seek love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself you have built against it.

– RUMI 

Loving someone with addiction or mental health problems can take a toll on the soul, especially when you’ve forgotten how to love and take care of yourself in that process. Lara helps those labeled as “codependent” become more aware of toxic relationship patterns, set healthy boundaries, and honor a higher commitment to oneself. 

As Lara would say, “Anxiety is my jam!!!” If you consider yourself (or are considered by others) to be “high strung”, “perfectionist”, “Type A”, “OCD”, “control freak,” or just a plain old “worry wart”, Lara will help you ditch the negative label and dig deeper into what is really causing all the internal stress. With new skills and insight, you can channel your inner calm and release the anxiety you have been carrying.

Lara is also committed to supporting women who are going through divorce. In addition to providing individual counseling in this area, Lara facilitates Untying The Knot, an 8-week support group for women who are navigating the challenges and changes of divorce/separation, helping them find balance, regain a sense of self, and connect with an empathic support system.

Lara is originally from Texas but now lives in South Jersey with her spouse and two embarrassingly pampered rescue dogs. Lara is a licensed foster parent and enjoys singing soft rock cover songs from the 60s, 70s and 80s.