Lauren Walther

I received my masters in social work from Smith College in Northampton, MA in 2011. After graduation, I pursued further clinical training as a Postgraduate Social Work Fellow at the Menninger Clinic on the Professionals in Crisis Unit (PIC). In 2012, I became a licensed chemical dependency counselor to better serve the needs of clients with addiction issues. Upon completion of my fellowship, I worked as a staff social worker on the Professionals in Crisis Unit (2011-2013) and as an addictions counselor and staff social worker at the Pathfinder Program, the Menninger Clinic's community integration program (2013-2017). I established my private practice in 2012 alongside my work at the hospital. 

In 2017, I relocated back to my hometown of Atlanta, GA where I maintained a private practice. During that time, I became Director of Family Programs for Driftwood Recovery in Austin, TX. I traveled to Austin one weekend per month to facilitate Driftwood Recovery’s Courageous Family Workshop, which supports family members’ recovery processes. The philosophy and team and Driftwood were so inspiring that I joined the team full-time in July 2019 as their Program Director. In May 2021, I returned to Atlanta to resume private practice and continue facilitating Driftwood’s family workshop.

Additional education includes a two-year training at the Center for Psychoanalytic Studies in Houston, TX (graduated 2015) and workshops in problematic sexual behaviors and sexual health, mentalization based therapy for families (MBT), collaborative assessment and management of suicidality (CAMS), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), addiction as an attachment disorder, and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT). My current educational pursuit is training in psychodrama, a form of experiential group therapy wherein members have corrective experiences and gain insight through role-play and active expression.

I am a member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA).

Buzzwords I use to describe my approach to therapy are psychodynamic, attachment-based and relational. "Psychodynamic" and "attachment-based" mean that I believe the groundwork of our current emotional and psychological selves are formed from a mix of our early interactions with our environment, our early relationships with caregivers and inherent personality traits. These factors largely contribute to how we negotiate the world and the people around us. Said a different way, I want to understand how a person's internal world (personality traits, thoughts, feelings, rules, beliefs, tendencies, etc.) clashes or melds with the external world (people, institutions, value systems, work, interests, etc.). Often, people come into therapy when things start to feel out-of-sync or old strategies for negotiating other people and the world are no longer working or satisfying.

"Relational" refers to my style of "being with" my clients in therapy and also how we might utilize the therapeutic relationship to facilitate growth. This means I am active in therapy with curiosity, reflections, and feedback. It also means that while the therapeutic relationship is a professional one, I will encourage us to examine the interpersonal dynamic between therapist and client to give us clues about what might be happening in other areas of a client's life. text goes here

I’m passionate about helping people who struggle with mood disorders, attachment trauma and substance misuse to manage feelings and relationships in healthy and effective ways. I work with adults in their various relational contexts, so I provide individual, couples, and family therapy as a person's needs require. 

Professionals

I have particular expertise helping professionals, such as lawyers and physicians, balance work and wellness. The online format affords utmost flexibility for those with demanding travel and work schedules. If needed, I can help professionals meet requirements of licensing boards by preparing assessments and progress reports and communicating with appropriate stakeholders. 

Mood Disorders

       Mood disorder generally refers to conditions that contribute to significant shifts in a person's mood such as depression, anxiety, and bipolar. However, these labels don't give us a lot of information about the very personal ways individuals struggle with their mood. I am interested in learning about a person's history and how depressed or elevated moods has impacted all aspects of client's life including goals, sense of self, relationships, and satisfaction.  

Substance Use Disorders 

       I think about substance use disorders as having an unhealthy or maladaptive relationship with mind-altering substances. Considering a client's history with substances, I explore with the individual what kind of relationship he or she desires to have with substances. I help clients evaluate the benefits, risks and consequences of continued substance use to their health, relationships, values and aspirations. I provide frank feedback about outcomes so clients can make an informed decision. Once we determine the best course of action, whether it's abstinence or managed use, I provide tools of support while continuing to explore emotional and psychological implications of substance abuse.

       If needed, I will refer clients for medication-assisted treatment to manage withdrawal or cravings. I can also connect a client to various support groups to help sustain a person's motivations and goals including 12-step groups, SMART recovery, Refuge Recvoery, etc. 

Personality Disorders

       A personality disorders refers to struggles related to maladaptive behaviors and thinking patterns that often  contribute to impaired relationships with self and others. These ingrained behaviors and thinking patterns can sometimes be hard to spot, because they are seemingly an essential part of a person. However, exquisite sensitivity to feelings, intense reactions to feelings, and resulting chaotic and unsatisfying relationship can often be signals to potential personality issues.

       I utilize mentalization based treatment techniques and elements of dialectical behavior therapy to address personality disorder issues. Mentalizing is the ability to reflect on one's own thoughts and feelings and also be attentive to others' thoughts and feelings. In therapy, the therapist and client work to make each others' minds transparent allowing for constant clarification of thoughts, feelings and intentions. In this way, a client is able to utilize his or her inner resources and support system during emotional upset and life's tumult.