Lauren Stephenson , LCSW

Lauren Stephenson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 16 years of experience based in North Carolina. She helps people cope with stress, anxiety, depression, and life transitions. She also supports concerns around parenting, family conflict, relationships, and women's issues. Lauren works with people facing addiction, ADHD, compassion fatigue, and career or money stress. Her style is warm and encouraging. She aims to meet each person where they are and follow their lead during sessions. Lauren frames work in practical steps so people can try small changes between meetings. Lauren uses tools from cognitive behavioral approaches to help people notice patterns of thought and behavior that keep problems going. She also draws on dialectical behavior techniques to teach emotional regulation and coping skills. Motivational interviewing and solution-focused ideas guide short-term planning and goal setting. Over the years she has supported people dealing with adoption and foster care issues, blended family challenges, and family-of-origin difficulties. She also helps with social anxiety, self-harm concerns, isolation, and communication problems within families. Sessions focus on clear goals, skill-building, and practical strategies for everyday life. Lauren emphasizes individualized care so each plan fits the person in front of her. She aims to help people make steady progress toward the life they want.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online care

Lauren uses cognitive behavioral techniques to help people recognize thought and behavior patterns that affect mood. CBT focuses on practical exercises and experiments that can be done between sessions to reduce anxiety or depression.

She also incorporates dialectical behavior therapy skills to teach emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. DBT skills are useful when strong emotions or relationship conflicts make daily life harder, and they can be practiced in short steps during the week.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, preferences, and what has helped or not helped in the past. Together they decide which methods to try and adjust the plan as progress is made.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is good for face-to-face conversation and teaching skills. Phone sessions can fit into a work break or when bandwidth is limited. Live chat and messaging allow brief check-ins, ongoing coaching, or follow-up between longer sessions. These options offer flexibility for people juggling family, work, and other responsibilities.