Lauren Penner, LPC

Licensed Professional Counselor #86371

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside of you” - Maya Angelou

Your story is worth being told. I am passionate about creating space for my clients to tell their stories and author their future. You are the expert on your own life and author of your own story. I believe that compassion and unconditional acceptance act as healing elements in suffering. Inside and outside of the therapy room, my work as a therapist is oriented toward social justice and equity. I affirm all identities in the LGBTQIA+ community and wholeheartedly welcome you—just as you are.

Past trauma may be interfering with your relationships, your ability to trust others, daily functioning, sleep, or bringing fear and anxiety into the present moment. I will help you extend compassion toward yourself for the behaviors or patterns that have served you in some way to survive or cope with trauma, while also empowering you to have choices to move forward as you heal.

You may find yourself at a loss for what to do for your child. My aim is to incorporate your expertise as a parent, coupled with my clinical experience, while working together as a team. Through child-centered play therapy and creative interventions, your child can voice what they cannot find the words to say.

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Texas. I received a Bachelor of Business Administration with a minor in Psychology from Tarleton State University in 2017. I hold a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Tarleton State University.

My areas of practice include childhood trauma, trauma throughout the lifespan, spiritual or religious abuse and trauma, grief and loss, LGBTQIA+, anxiety, depression, and play therapy. I integrate body-based interventions for trauma as a holistic approach to healing from traumatic experiences. In therapy, I incorporate Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), mindfulness-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (MBCT), self-compassion, narrative therapy, and play therapy. I acknowledge the courage that it takes to step out and bring another person into the deepest parts of your experience and pain. I would be honored to travel alongside you in this journey.