(she/her)
New to Grow
Welcome. I am Lauren Farrell and I'm an LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor). I graduated from Holy Cross University in Algiers (New Orleans) in 2003 and earned my LPC License in 2006. I am grateful to have experience working for 23 years doing my best to walk side by side with my clients helping them to navigate the journey of life through the challenges we all face sometimes. I started my own practice in April of 2010. I look forward to meeting you and working with you whether it is in person or virtually.
I hope to facilitate an environment where our first session will be comfortable and engaging by discussing such topics as: 1) What brings you to therapy? 2) What do you want to gain from your time in our sessions? and 3) What are your goals and expectations for therapy? Remember, our first session and all sessions are your time and your safe space to express whatever thoughts or feelings are weighing on you that need to be processed or healed.
I think one of my strengths as a therapist is my ability to help my clients feel comfortable. For many of us that means feeling safe with the person you have chosen to help you with your intentions or desires to cope with the challenges or struggles you are going through. This is not always a comfortable process and that is why it is my goal to provide a space where you feel safe to express your thoughts and emotions.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
What we think about affects the way we feel and therefore the way we behave. Because we are human we all have irrational thoughts, for example Mind Reading - you think you know what someone is thinking but you could be wrong and start going down the wrong road and feeling hurt or angry about something that doesn't exist because you have made it up in your head and then you believed it to be true. Not everything we think is a fact! But we believe many of our irrational thoughts and dwell on them which can cause depression or anxiety. Dwelling = Suffering. Put simply, our thoughts are not good or bad or right or wrong, they are helpful or they are not helpful. CBT helps us to be more mindful of our thoughts, feelings and behaviors.