I am passionate about supporting people on their path to transformation.
Hi, I’m Dr. Laura B. Farmer
I am a licensed professional counselor, scholar, educator, healer, and intuitive. I serve as a bridge between the validity of our intuitive, internally-derived wisdom and rational, empirically-derived knowledge. My work is devoted to helping people navigate these realms for themselves and discover uncharted territory that leads them to greater freedom, happiness, and fulfillment.
A natural teacher, I worked as a full-time professor of counseling for seven years and developed my own research focusing on LGBTQ-affirmative counseling, transgender advocacy, and counselor training. I became certified as a Qoya dance and movement instructor, which opened my eyes to a new way of healing that incorporates the body. I rely on my training in a variety of creative and expressive modalities to support self-expression, expansion, and discovery. These creative and expressive outlets have supported me in my own life and I love sharing them with others. The clients I work with are curious, open, and motivated to create meaningful transformation in their lives.
You are the author of your own life story, and I would be honored to serve as a supportive guide along your path.
“
Working with Dr. Farmer using Psych-K along with traditional talk therapy has developed a kind of pathway through which my inner guidance system can ground me in the positive changes I seek for a quality life. After balancing for a goal statement, I feel stronger in my sense of self and experience less inner conflict as I encounter day-to-day life. I’m noticing greater awareness when it comes to my emotions, triggers, and thought processes, and when I encounter conflict, I operate from a place of more compassion and less in defense, blame, or guilt.
”
— A
Research and Scholarship
My research focuses primarily on affirmative counseling with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender expansive, and queer/questioning (LGBTGEQ) persons. I am a passionate advocate for LGBTGEQ+ equality, health, wellness, and livelihood.
Additionally, I have begun to study and write about the therapeutic benefits of Qoya dance and movement, including a conceptual article about Qoya (in review) and a qualitative study of Qoya with LGBTGEQ+ persons (in progress).
Publications
Journal Articles
Farmer, L. B., & Biddle, K. (in review). Qoya: An exploration of movement as metaphor.
Farmer, L. B., Robbins, C., Keith, J., & Mabry, C. (2020). Transgender and gender expansive (TGE) students’ experiences of genderism at women’s colleges. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 13(2), 146–157. https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000129
Miller, R., Chan, C., & Farmer, L. B. (2018). Interpretative phenomenological analysis: A contemporary phenomenological approach. Counselor Education and Supervision, 57(4), 240-254.
Sackett, C. R., Farmer, L. B., & Moran, K. B. (2018). A phenomenological inquiry of high school students’ meaningful experiences with school counselors. Journal of School Counseling, 16(19), 3-29. Retrieved from http://www.jsc.montana.edu/articles/v16n19.pdf
Chan, C., & Farmer, L. B. (2017). Making the case for interpretative phenomenological analysis with LGBTGEQ+ persons and communities. Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling, 11(4), 285-300.
Goodrich, K. M., Farmer, L. B., Watson, J. W., Davis, R. J., Luke, M., Dispenza, F., Akers, W., & Griffith, C. (2017). Standards of care in assessment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender expansive, and queer/questioning (LGBTGEQ+) persons. Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling, 11(4), 203-211. Retrieved from http://www.algbtic.org/standards-of-care.html
Griffith, C., Akers, W., Dispenza, F., Luke, M., Farmer, L. B., Watson, J. W., Davis, R. J., & Goodrich, K. M. (2017). Standards of care for research with participants who identify as LGBTQ+. Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling, 11(4), 212-229. Retrieved from http://www.algbtic.org/standards-of-care.html
Farmer, L. B. (2017). An examination of counselors’ religiosity, spirituality, and lesbian-, gay-, and bisexual-affirmative counselor competence. The Professional Counselor, 7(2), 114-128. doi: 10.15241/lbf.7.2.114
Farmer, L. B., Sackett, C. R., Lile, J., Bodenhorn, N., Hartig, N., Graham, J., & Ghoston, M. (2017). An exploration of the perceived impact of post-master’s experience on doctoral study in counselor education and supervision. The Professional Counselor, 7(1) 15-32. doi:10.15241/lbf.7.1.15
Farmer, L. B., & Byrd, R. B. (2015). Genderism in the LGBTQQIA community: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling, 9(4), 288-310. doi:10.1080/15538605.2015.1103679
Sackett, C. R., Hartig, N., Bodenhorn, N., Farmer, L. B., Ghoston, M., Graham, J., & Lile, J. (2015). Advising master’s students pursuing doctoral study: A survey of the counselor educators and supervisors. The Professional Counselor, 5(4), 473-485. doi:10.15241/crs.5.4.473
Bodenhorn, N., Hartig, N., Ghoston, M., Graham, J., Lile, J., Sackett, C. R., Farmer, L. B. (2014). Counselor education faculty positions: Requirements and preferences in CESNET announcements 2005-2009. The Journal for Counselor Preparation and Supervision, 6(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.7729/61.1088
Farmer, L. B., Welfare, L. E., & Burge, P. L. (2013). Counselor competence with lesbian, gay, and bisexual clients: Differences among practice settings. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 41(4), 194-209. doi: 10.1002/j.2161-1912.2013.00036.x
Book Chapters
Farmer, L. B., & Chan, C. D. (2021). Intersectional identities: A self-reflective activity for outreach programming and workshops. In Whitman, J. S. & Boyd, C. J. (Eds.), The therapist’s notebook for sexual and gender identity diverse clients: Homework, handouts, and activities for use in counseling, training, and psychotherapy. New York: Harrington Park Press.
Byrd, R. B., & Farmer, L. B. (2021). Expanding binary thinking: An intervention for parents and caregivers of transgender and gender expansive youth. In Whitman, J. S. & Boyd, C. J. (Eds.), The therapist’s notebook for sexual and gender identity diverse clients: Homework, handouts, and activities for use in counseling, training, and psychotherapy. New York: Harrington Park Press.
Chan, C. D., Erby, A., Farmer, L. B., & Friday, A. (2017). LGBTQ identity development. In Killam, W. & Degges-White, S. (Eds.), College student development: Applying theory to practice on the diverse campus. New York: Springer Publishing.