Lauren Maguire
My professional identity focuses on unraveling patterns of interpersonal dysfunction, often triggered by trauma and adverse experiences in both childhood and adulthood. My goal is to help you achieve a sense of increased personal wellness and overcome the unhealthy relationship patterns you seem to be stuck in. I take a person-centered approach and base treatment on your goals. I am a certified clinical hypnotherapist and this can be utilized for increased self-esteem/confidence, resolving past traumas and emotional dysregulation, as well as a plethora of other issues. I use coping skills based in CBT, DBT, IFS, and codependency recovery. I am enormously passionate about mental health wellness and recovery. I have been in the counseling field for over a decade and absolutely love this work! When you work with me, I'm on your team! I dedicate our time together to finding the best methods that work for you, at your pace and to reach YOUR goals. I look forward to meeting you soon!
First session
My first session entails a biopsychosocial assessment, aka intake, to get a thorough idea of both presenting problems, as well as family background, health history, social supports and anything that may contribute to the comprehensive picture, to determine treatment goals that will be documented in a treatment plan.
Strengths
I like to teach "the method of the madness" of the benefits of change. Changing personal patterns we've adapted since childhood is HARD! Sometimes, it may seem impossible. I have found that while Real Estate sales were not my forte, I do have a knack for "selling" the techniques that will absolutely help you reach your goals and have a better quality of life. Codependency recovery skills, grieving life, re-processing trauma, and utilizing hypnosis have all been amazing tools (among many, many others in the therapeutic toolbox I have)! I like to say "I'm Sherlock and you're Watson, and together, we're going to solve this mystery!" I'm proud to say I have an exceptionally high rate of successful treatment "graduates"!
Ideal clients
"Ideal" client seems like a bit of a pigeon-hole. I started my career in Community Mental Health which was a radically diverse group of clientele. I found that the diversity was both a challenge, and enhanced my abilities as a clinician, and personally as well. I actually prefer new challenges and presenting problems, from all walks of life (within scope of practice, of course). My professional identity has mostly gravitated to unraveling codependency patterns beginning in childhood, resolving traumas, and helping clients differentiate between "masks" they have worn to accommodate others, and finding their true sense of self. My favorite question to have everyone answer at the completion of treatment, is "who are YOU, and what do YOU want/not want?"
Treatment methods
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
You only feel a BIG feeling for the first time once. Usually some of the difficult feelings (shame, humiliation, rejection, abandonment, etc.) occur in childhood. As a child, we're often afraid and sometimes not allowed to feel these feelings and express them the way we'd like, so we learn to develop "masks" or in IFS terms "protectors" that shield the feelings from the world. Unfortunately since these masks were created when we're little, they sometimes aren't as wise as they may be in adulthood. And since we don't have a "security guard" to tell us when we're 18, "hey this may not be the best approach to cope with this feeling"...we tend to continue patterns of reactivity that may sabotage our closest relationships and hinder our lives. IFS helps us identify the over-reactive parts and befriend them, in order to find new, healthy approaches that help us have improved relationships, with others and especially ourselves!
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
The way we think leads to the way we feel, which leads to behaviors and outcomes. Identifying and reframing maladaptive thoughts that no longer align with us will alter our feelings and outcomes, which can change our relationships, behaviors and overall well-being.
Location
Virtual sessions
In-person sessions102 N Main St, Middle Township, NJ 08210, 1st floor