Clinical Specialties

My area of expertise is centered in trauma. Trauma comes in many forms including medical trauma, interpersonal trauma, religious trauma, abuse, complicated grief, preverbal trauma, and complex long-term trauma. I also have experience working with anxiety and panic, difficult life transitions, shame and self-worth, postpartum difficulties, and phobias. I am trained in EMDR and certified in Brainspotting and hold certifications in telehealth interventions and a certification in compassion fatigue.  I have training in Complex PTSD, Internal Family Systems Therapy, Polyvagal Therapies, and somatic processing.

License Information

• Illinois License: 180011407
• Florida Telehealth Provider License: TPMC2241

Lauren Auer LCPC

It is an incredible privilege to be trusted with the stories of brave souls as they work through some of the most difficult parts of life. I am deep-down-to-my-bones grateful that my job is to love on people and help facilitate healing – there is nothing in this world I would rather do!

In therapy I will meet you where you are and get a sense for where you would prefer to be. My approach is not “one size fits all.” I strive to get a full picture of how each of my clients experience their roadblocks and will work with them to think outside the box, approach things from various viewpoints, and expand their capacity to reclaim their positive control. Therapy should be effective and enjoyable.

I’m often found hanging out in a local coffee shop, reading and listening to podcasts (sometimes at the same time), wandering around Target, and buying another plant that I don’t need.

Experience

Before opening my own private practice I worked in a variety of therapeutic settings that focused on traumatic abuse therapy. These years of experience allowed me to understand tauma from every angle and presentation. I worked with children as young as three all the way up to adults in their later stages of life. I worked with perpetrators of violence and sexual offenses as well as victims, caretakers, and significant others. I saw how trauma can look across a timespan. I responded to hospital advocacy calls to sit with victims in the raw moments following assaults, sat in court with those giving testimonies, and provided therapy to people who recently made the brave choice to speak about experiences from long ago. I was also able to see how trauma can impact those in helping roles from a variety of angles. I have served as a Clinical Director of a rape crisis agency which allowed me to supervise a staff of eleven therapists and interns.  I am a trainer for the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault where I present trainings for therapists all over the state of Illinois. I also have experience training school personnel, law enforcement, military, professional counselors and medical staff. In addition to providing professional trainings, I also provide education to community groups seeking to gain mental health information.

Education

• MA Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Regent University
• B.A., Sociology and B.A. Criminal Justice, Bradley University
• Certified Clinical Tele-mental Health Provider / 718158
• Certified in Compassion Fatigue/ 2020
• MBWJHES Award Recipient 2023
• Trained in EMDR
• Certified in Brainspotting