Lauren Hales , LMHC, LPC

Lauren Hales, LMHC, LPC, brings 25 years of clinical experience in hospitals and private practice to her counseling work. LMHC stands for Licensed Mental Health Counselor and LPC stands for Licensed Professional Counselor, designations that reflect formal training and state licensure to provide therapeutic services. She believes most people are doing the best they can and that feeling stuck usually reflects a gap in experience or tools rather than personal failure. Lauren prioritizes listening with empathy so clients feel heard and understood while introducing new skills to help manage emotions, reactions, and life challenges.

Her approach integrates contemporary psychological methods and practical strategies. She uses cognitive-behavioral techniques to identify and change unhelpful thinking patterns, mindfulness to increase present-moment awareness, emotionally-focused methods to strengthen relational bonds, and structured movement or exercise as an adjunct when useful. These tools are applied to support rewiring of habitual responses, reduce distress, and promote recovery from emotional trauma.

Lauren works with a wide range of concerns including stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, parenting, bipolar disorder, addictions, LGBT issues, relationship and family challenges, eating and sleeping difficulties, anger, self-esteem, career concerns, and depression. Additional focus areas include communication problems, dissociation, impulsivity, isolation and loneliness, jealousy, mood disorders, and self-harm. She aims to collaborate with clients to expand their coping toolbox, explore new perspectives, and regain a greater sense of control and well-being.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Lauren Hales integrates evidence-informed approaches into online therapy to address emotional and relational concerns. Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on how early bonds shape current relationships and emotional responses; it helps clients explore connection needs and build more secure ways of relating. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, teaches practical skills to identify and shift unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, which is useful for anxiety, depression, and stress management. Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) concentrates on emotions within relationships, helping partners and individuals understand and transform maladaptive interaction patterns.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Lauren works collaboratively with each person to assess needs, goals, and preferences and tailors techniques accordingly so the approach fits the client rather than the other way around. This collaborative stance helps clients feel engaged and invested in the work.

Online therapy offers flexible access to care through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit sessions into busy schedules, maintain continuity when travel or relocation occur, and choose the communication style that feels most comfortable. Licensed professionals can deliver effective therapeutic work across these formats while adapting methods to suit the online setting.