About Me
My name is Lauren and I have studied mental health coaching with focus on relationships, marriage, family, addiction, and recovery. I am also currently studying mental health in youth. I am married to a wonderful man, and we are the proud parents to two teenage boys.
Things haven’s always been easy. My husband and I have been through a tremendous amount of stress in our relationship over the last 20+ years. There was so much loneliness and pain I numbed myself to because I had resigned myself to the idea that it was “just the way it is”. Struggles in our marriage, and in relationships with loved ones, had gotten so bad that we finally knew that something had to change. We had a lot that we had to work through individually, and together. So together, with our counselors, we were able to expose, and begin to work through the issues that we needed to deal with and no longer ignore. The weight of our issues, and the tremendous amount of work that would follow, gave me the opportunity to love myself and my life in ways I’ve never known.
Establishing appropriate and healthy boundaries was an integral part of my personal growth and required courage to implement with confidence. Boundaries are not used to manipulate or force change in others, they mark physical and emotional limits of behavior that I will and will not tolerate. I came to understand the importance of setting healthy boundaries and choosing to love myself over pleasing others. These tools helped me learn how to trust myself, and that I am lovable for exactly who I am. We are all worthy of being loved, seen, heard and valued, without betraying ourselves and hiding parts of ourselves to make others feel comfortable or just to fit in. When faced with conflict, I engage authentically and lovingly, with integrity and honesty. I do not allow fear to control me when it comes to loving myself and others well. I know my worth, what I deserve, and where I belong. This clarity gives me more capacity to create space for deeper connections with the ones I love.
I love to offer walk and talk sessions because walking helps calm anxiety and helps regulate the nervous system. I am passionate about utilizing my training and my personal experiences to encourage and empower other women to learn and practice self care skills and have a safe place to share their struggles. My goal is to help women learn how to become the most powerful, joyful, and mentally and emotionally healthy versions of themselves. This journey to improve our mental health and our connections to ourselves and others can feel overwhelming at times, and it takes courage. Courage is doing the things that feel scary and uncomfortable, and leaning in and working through them while feeling scared and uncomfortable. These abilities and benefits are what I wish to share with others through my coaching. Change can feel scary, but I am with you to support and encourage you as you walk this new path to a life of resilience, clarity, confidence, connection and peace.
My Code of Ethics:
I am NOT a therapist, counselor, psychiatrist, or medical professional of any kind. Although the same code of ethics do apply. Our sessions are confidential. I will not pursue you in public and will only engage if you initiate contact. The one exception to breaking confidentiality is if you are to harm, or state to harm yourself or anyone else.
Mental health coaches will represent themselves accurately in the interest of the client’s welfare. Competent mental health coaches represent their qualifications fairly and accurately, correcting any misunderstandings clients may have about their qualifications
Mental health coaches will keep current with emerging knowledge relevant to mental illness and openly share this knowledge with their colleagues
Mental health coaches will recognize their boundaries of competence and provide only those services and use only those techniques for which they are qualified by training or experience
Mental health coaches should be able to recognize when a situation calls for a response which exceeds what they are able to provide and to assist their clients in obtaining the professional services they need
Mental health coaches will never intimidate, threaten, harass, use undue influence, physical force or verbal abuse or make unwarranted promises and benefits to the individuals they serve
Mental health coaches will advocate for those they serve that they may make their own decisions in all matters when dealing with mental health professionals
Mental health coaches will respect the privacy and confidentiality of those they serve
Mental health coaches will be guided by the principle of self-determination for all and help those they serve to achieve their own needs, wants and goals
List of references for counselors or therapists:Book references:Boundaries - Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend
Daring greatly - Brené Brown
Gifts of Imperfection - Brené Brown
Codependent no more - Melody Beattie
My Mission:
It is my joy to support and empower women in dealing with relational struggles, self confidence, accomplishing goals, gaining clarity, knowing your worth, trusting yourself, being self aware, and finding peace and freedom. These skills are attained by hard work, hard questions, and self awareness. It already exists within you, I am just here to support and encourage you to help you realize it and bring into reality. It takes time and practice, you must give yourself grace and gentleness. Something to celebrate is that you have come this far to look into how to get support in your healing process. That is a big step. You belong here.