Former athlete. Former teacher. Now a therapist who asks the hard questions.
And who doesn't flinch when you actually answer them.
Hi, I’m Lauren
How I Got Here
I used to be a teacher. The kind who got way too invested in figuring out why kids struggled and why the same patterns kept showing up. I kept trying to make it fit: project-based learning, social-emotional curriculum, eventually working with teachers instead of being in the classroom.
But what I actually wanted was to sit with someone and help them understand what was going on underneath. Not manage behavior. Not follow a lesson plan. Just figure it out together.
What I kept noticing is that I would spend all my time helping students understand their reactions or behavior and what needs they were trying to get met and then guide them to meet those needs in healthier ways. I kept noticing that I lit up when I could help two students in conflict have a conversation and guide them to understand themselves and the other person. I wasn't passionate about math, I was passionate about people. So I went back to school for another masters degree and became a therapist.
Before teaching, I was a Division I athlete. I know what it feels like to build your entire identity around performance and what happens when that's gone. I know what it's like to fight for a goal with everything you have, come up empty, and then be forced to move on without the structure and support you've always known. To rebuild yourself.
Those experiences aren't just background. They show up in the room with every person I work with.
Now I specialize in adults in transition: athletes redefining who they are after sport ends, high-achievers who have accomplished everything and still feel empty, chronic givers who have disappeared into taking care of everyone else, and people asking "why am I like this?" and actually wanting an answer.
My clients are usually reflective, motivated, and ready for something to shift. They are just stuck in patterns they can't quite break on their own. That is where I come in.
What It's Like to Work With Me
I'm warm. I'm also direct.
I'll sit with you in the hard stuff: the grief, the confusion, the shame, the anger. I'm not going anywhere.
I ask questions that get at what is actually happening, not just what you are saying on the surface.
I explain things. I sketch stuff on whiteboards. I use metaphors that usually land. I am not just nodding and asking "how does that make you feel?" I'm actively connecting the dots with you.
When you are going around the same circle for the third time, I'll gently notice that. When there is something worth naming in the room, I'll name it.
Because understanding yourself is the whole point. And you can't get there if we are tiptoeing.
Me Outside the Therapy Room
I live in Chattanooga. I recently lost my doggo, Hank, who was my whole world. Volleyball is the only thing that can snap me out of a freeze response, so I play as often as I can. I read constantly. I take long walks. I drink my coffee in the quiet before anyone else wakes up.
I'm more comfortable with confrontation than most therapists. I'd rather name the thing in the room than dance around it for six sessions. I like whiteboards and T-charts and drawing things out when words aren't landing. I use a lot of metaphors. Some stick, some don't even hit the board.
I welcome people from all backgrounds into my practice. Secular, spiritual, religious, LGBTQ+, religious trauma survivors, people still sorting out what they believe. Your path is yours. I am not here to hand you a new framework or tell you what to think. I am here to help you find the threads of who you are underneath all the noise.
What I Believe About This Work
MY VALUES
Common Humanity
What connects us matters more than what separates us. No matter where you come from or what you believe, we all need the same things: to belong, to be understood, to be ourselves.
Curiosity Over Judgment
We ask "what's the function of this?" instead of "what's wrong with you?" Your reactions make sense in context. Let's figure out the context.
Healing through Connection
Healing happens through connection—to self, to others, and to the world around us. Our lives gain strength and meaning when experiences are understood and woven together rather than held in isolation.
Want to Work Together?
If you are in Chattanooga and this feels like a fit, let's have a conversation.