We were lucky to catch up with Lauren Reed recently and have shared our conversation below.

Lauren, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about the best advice you’ve ever given to a client? (Please note this response is for education/entertainment purposes only and shouldn’t be construed as advice for the reader)

Throughout my career clients have taught me valuable, unexpected universal truths and lessons. What I love about therapy is that it’s not rocket science and it’s not magic. It’s a mix of openness, attunement, compassion and skill building. I love that in the therapy session the client and I are both the student and the teacher, at different times. Clients have taught me many lessons over the years that have been profound in my own healing journey. One in particular stands out to me frequently when I’m focused on a new goal, the phrase the client said was “don’t stray too far from the blueprint” It’s so easy for us to complicate things, to make things really unclear or disjointed and this has happened to me when I’ve had multiple projects or goals that I’m working on. It’s easy to talk myself out of a goal because it may feel too hard or out of reach, but when I focus on the blueprint, the goal in its simplest form is quite clear and attainable. It’s all about those small steps in the right direction. Any step in that direction is positive and something to be proud of. This phrase reminds me that the blueprint for a well lived life is something we can refer back to at any time. My blueprint consists of; being present, taking healthy risks, helping others, and doing things that are healing for myself and others.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am Lauren Reed, a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist. I have been in this field since 2016 and I enjoy working with teenagers, individuals and couples. “Healing is Messy and its beautiful” is a phrase I use often when describing the therapeutic process to clients. It takes courage to come to therapy and to take an internal look at ourselves and the world around us while trying to make sense of it all. I often work with clients on relational challenges, attachment wounds, self-compassion, grief, and substance use. It is an honor when a client allows me to be a part of their process.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

It is most important for us to learn how to be compassionate with ourselves throughout the process. We won’t get it right every single time, and that is okay. It is important to learn and lean in when we feel uncomfortable and give ourselves the same level of kindness and curiosity that we would give our closest friend in the same situation. We learn from mistakes, not from beating ourselves up, but from a place of wisdom and experience.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Books- Fierce Self Compassion by Kristen Neff

Podcasts: Therapy Uncensored, Therapy Chat, Be Well

Ted Talk:
Sam Bernes: My Philosophy for A Happy Life

How to Practice Emotional First Aid
Art of the Small by Beth Meyerson

Contact Info:

• Website: https://heartcenteredtherapist.com/

Image Credits
Sherry Bailey Photography