Practitioner Name: Lauren Desouza
Title: Licensed Professional Counselor 

Hi, I’m Lauren! Sometimes life challenges can be difficult to cope with and making a choice to seek therapy can feel vulnerable and scary. Each person is unique in their own way, and I recognize the importance of "meeting you where you are at."   

Educational Background: I obtained my Master of Science Degree in Clinical Health Psychology (Addictions Track) from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) in 2011.

Professional Experience: 

I currently work with adults and older adolescents. I am an EMDR (Eye Movement and Desensitization Reprocessing) trained clinician, and I am working towards Advanced Certification.  I have experience working with individuals with symptoms related to: 

• Addiction 

• Adjustment/Transitional difficulties
• Anxiety 
• Bipolar Disorder (Bipolar I and II) 
• Borderline Personality Disorder 
• Complicated grieving
• Complex trauma
• Depression 
• Gender Dysphoria 
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Panic Disorder 
• PTSD 

Therapeutic Approach: 

Throughout my experience as a therapist, I found that the use of Somatic Interventions (Mindfulness, EMDR, etc.) have been highly effective in helping people reconnect to their body and mind, and this practice may lead to better attunement of the nervous system. I believe that the human brain can heal itself when given the opportunity. My approaches include: 

1.      Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Develop healthy thinking patterns and beliefs that lead to the alleviation and help prevent the relapse of distressing emotions. 

2.      Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Learn emotional regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness, and interpersonal effectiveness to help manage distressing emotions and improve quality of life.    

3.      Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR): Alleviate the symptoms associated with traumatic and distressing memories using bilateral stimulation.

4.      Internal Family Systems (IFS): Identify and accept the different parts of yourself that can lead to personal growth and correct problematic behavior patterns.

Get to know me:

Creativity is very important to me and for years, I have nurtured this love for painting and drawing and find that it is a great emotional outlet. I also enjoy writing poetry and being present in nature. I’ve found that reading and listening to podcasts regularly are some of the main ingredients for sparking inspiration and these practices help to nourish my passion for learning.