We recently connected with Lauren Hofstatter and have shared our conversation below.

Lauren, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

As a girl, I was always taught the importance of education. After high school, I originally wanted to become a speech pathologist. However, after starting my first semester in college, I quickly realized that speech therapy was not the right path for me. I decided that a transition to psychology would be easier.

While pursuing my bachelor’s degree, I began to build my family. By the end of the program, I had two children and felt very lost regarding my next steps. Fortunately, I had a professor in my undergraduate program who encouraged me to pursue a master’s in mental health counseling at Nova Southeastern University. I completed the program while adding two more children to my family, resulting in a household of four kids under the age of five. I was overwhelmed trying to balance being a mom and starting my career.

With my husband’s support, I took an eight-year break from my career to continue building our family. A turning point for me was deciding to pursue my PhD in clinical sexology at the Modern Sex Therapy Institute in Miami last year. This program provided me with additional resources to help individuals struggling with sexual and relationship issues that they may have thought were “normal” or “impossible to fix.” It also offered me insights into aspects of sexuality and relationships that I previously found foreign. As I move into my dissertation year, I look forward to continuing to pursue helping individuals and couple with relationships and sexuality with a specialization in the Jewish Orthodox community.From a young age, I was taught the importance of education. After high school, I initially aspired to become a speech pathologist. However, during my first semester in college, I quickly realized that speech therapy was not the right path for me. I decided to transition to psychology instead.

While pursuing my bachelor’s degree, I started building my family. By the end of the program, I had two children and felt lost regarding my next steps. Fortunately, one of my professors encouraged me to pursue a master’s degree in mental health counseling at Nova Southeastern University. I completed the program while welcoming two more children, resulting in a household with four kids under the age of five. I felt overwhelmed trying to balance motherhood and starting my career.

With my husband’s support, I took an eight-year break from my career to focus on growing our family. A turning point for me was deciding to pursue a PhD in clinical sexology at the Modern Sex Therapy Institute in Miami last year. This program has equipped me with resources to help individuals grappling with sexual and relationship issues they may have thought were “normal” or “impossible to fix.” It also provided me with insights into aspects of sexuality and relationships that I previously found unfamiliar. As I enter my dissertation year, I look forward to continuing my work helping individuals and couples with their relationships and sexuality, particularly within the Jewish Orthodox community.From a young age, I was taught the importance of education. After high school, I initially aspired to become a speech pathologist. However, during my first semester in college, I quickly realized that speech therapy was not the right path for me. I decided to transition to psychology instead.

While pursuing my bachelor’s degree, I started building my family. By the end of the program, I had two children and felt lost regarding my next steps. Fortunately, one of my professors encouraged me to pursue a master’s degree in mental health counseling at Nova Southeastern University. I completed the program while welcoming two more children, resulting in a household with four kids under the age of five. I felt overwhelmed trying to balance motherhood and starting my career.

With my husband’s support, I took an eight-year break from my career to focus on growing our family. A turning point for me was deciding to pursue a PhD in clinical sexology at the Modern Sex Therapy Institute in Miami last year. This program has equipped me with resources to help individuals grappling with sexual and relationship issues they may have thought were “normal” or “impossible to fix.” It also provided me with insights into aspects of sexuality and relationships that I previously found unfamiliar. As I enter my dissertation year, I look forward to continuing my work helping individuals and couples with their relationships and sexuality, particularly within the Jewish Orthodox community.From an early age, I learned that education is vital to success. After high school, my dream was to become a speech pathologist. However, once I started my first semester in college, I quickly realized that this was not the right path for me. I shifted my focus to psychology, believing it would better align with my passions.

While pursuing my bachelor’s degree, I embarked on the journey of starting my family. By the time I completed my degree, I was the mother of two young children and felt a deep sense of uncertainty about my future. Thankfully, a supportive professor in my undergraduate program inspired me to pursue a master’s degree in mental health counseling at Nova Southeastern University. I managed to complete this demanding program while giving birth to two more children, resulting in an active household of four kids under the age of five. The challenge of juggling motherhood and career aspirations was overwhelming, yet motivating.

With steadfast support from my husband, I made the decision to take an eight-year hiatus from my professional ambitions to focus on our growing family. Last year marked a pivotal moment in my journey when I enrolled in a PhD program in clinical sexology at the Modern Sex Therapy Institute in Miami. This program has provided me with invaluable resources to help individuals facing sexual and relationship issues that they may consider “normal” or “impossible to fix.” It has also opened my eyes to complex aspects of sexuality and relationships that I had previously overlooked. As I approach my dissertation year, I am excited to refine my expertise in helping individuals and couples navigate their relationships and sexuality, with a special focus on the Jewish Orthodox community.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am currently a therapist in private practice in Boca Raton, Florida. I also mentor other therapists who may not have my expertise gained from my PhD and my understanding of the Jewish Orthodox community.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

As a sex and relationship counselor, I learned the importance of not “yucking someone else’s yum.” Growing up in a modern Orthodox Jewish community, I was more sheltered than the average person. However, pursuing my PhD opened my eyes to various topics that were previously foreign to me.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

The aspect of my field that I believe contributes most to my success is networking. Through networking, I have been able to build a successful private practice and find the ideal business and social media manager to meet my needs.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thelhhexperience.com
• Instagram: @theorthodoxtherapist
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-hofstatter-20778523?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app