Lauren Ostrowski, MA, LPC, NCC, DCC, CCTP

*** Just a note about insurance. The practice I work with accepts a wide variety of insurances. The office does not accept Medicaid and I cannot accept Medicare. We accept most other major insurances. Please call the office for specific information, as insurance plans vary widely.

I believe it is a privilege to be with clients along their journey of healing and change. I strive to see the world through the eyes of each of my clients and look at the manageable steps that may be along the way to help them reach their goal. I also believe that feeling safe in session is a cornerstone of the therapeutic alliance. While I recognize that some discussions in session are uncomfortable, there is quite a wide range between being uncomfortable and feeling unsafe. This is certainly a discussion point.

For more than nine years, I have been working with children, teenagers, and adults with many different reasons for arriving in my office. While the most common issues that I see relate to depression, anxiety, anger, conflict resolution/problem solving, and trusting others, these concerns are often just where conversation starts. In fact, what looks like one area of concern often leads to other topics of focus.

Each of us has a past. Even if something in the past is not a reason for coming into sessions, I also recognize that we all learn from our past. Particularly in relationships, we learn what is effective with different people through experiences. This most definitely applies to communication styles and conflict resolution, but can also lead to a lot of other areas. Sometimes what is helpful with one or two people does not apply to other relationships and it can be difficult to see and navigate the differences.

In addition to working with individuals, I also have several years of and specific training related to working with couples. I am trained in the Developmental Model of Couples Therapy. This model focuses on new ways of looking at communication skills and conflict resolution as well as looking at some of what has led up to the current state of the relationship. Here is some more information about a few key elements of my work with couples: http://tinyurl.com/DevelopmentalCouplesLauren

I have experience working with clients who have some trauma in their past. There are many different approaches to working to heal trauma. Part of the model that I use involves learning how to relax your body (as well as why this is important) while talking about your experiences. This work assists many different people who are anxious or upset (whether or not in the context of trauma) in learning what is happening chemically in their brain and being aware of what is occurring in their body. You may have heard of mindfulness (being aware of what is happening in the environment around you and noticing things that you can see, hear, touch, etc.). Often this is coupled with being aware of changes in your body (for example, feeling tightness in your chest, fidgeting with your hands or feet, faster breathing) to establish a feeling of safety in the room. The best public description that I can locate about this type of work is a page that explains a training course through the International Association of Trauma Professionals: http://traumapro.net/certified-clinical-trauma-professional-cctp/.

Having emotional changes is typical. Each and every one of us experiences some changes in emotions every day. It's one of the major ways we interact with the world around us. Sometimes these shifts lead us to take actions that we do not want to repeat. Other times, differences in feelings are large or frequent enough that it is difficult for us to follow through with what we need or want to do on a daily basis.

I encourage safe expression of thoughts and feelings in my office. I firmly believe that listening is a large component of what I do with each of my clients. At the same time, I also provide ideas, questions for further consideration, and feedback. I mention this because I have had several clients tell me that they have been in sessions where they do 99% of the talking and the therapist says almost nothing. I am certainly more active in sessions than that. The number of explanations, comments, questions, and exchange of ideas depends on each individual person in my office. I believe that you are the expert on you.

I aim for each of my clients to feel as though they are heard. While we may not always agree on everything, that does not take away from my desire to hear what you mean and where you are coming from in a discussion. After all, the decisions are yours to make.

You matter to me from the moment you enter my office.