My Approach to Helping
I am called to use my experience as a Military 1 Source therapist, an advocate for bringing POW/MIAs home, and someone who was raised in military communities, to be in service as a counselor to those who serve.
Lauren is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) who specializes in working with the military community including those in active service, their families, and veterans. She helps people balance the competing demands of military service and having a successful relationship and raising a family. She provides a confidential space for service members to manage triggering events and emotions, like anger, anxiety, depression, or grief, to help relieve pressure on themselves and their families. Depending on the challenge, Lauren uses approaches that range from a practical, solution-focused, and cognitive behavioral one to an approach with a deeper dive into emotions, historical patterns, and triggers. Each has a similar goal: greater happiness, a sense of empowerment, and awareness of possibility. Lauren began her private practice in Northern Virginia. She worked with Military One Source and the majority of her clients with military personnel and/or their family members. She has been in practice for 20+ years. Most recently, Lauren began training with MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) to become certified in MDMA-assisted therapy., an FDA-designated breakthrough therapy for treating PTSD. She is looking forward to using this healing modality with veterans in the future. Lauren has her undergraduate degree in Journalism, from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She earned a Master’s in Psychological Services and another in Education from Marymount University. She has held certifications as a teacher and elementary school counselor and is currently licensed as a Licensed Professional Counselor in Virginia.