- CBT skills
- DBT strategies
- EMDR for trauma
About Lauren
Lauren Peffer is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) licensed in New York with 23 years of clinical experience. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, relationship challenges, and issues connected to parenting, grief, and addiction. Lauren lists guilt and shame among her focus areas and often helps clients who are carrying those feelings.
Her approach is straightforward and interactive. She listens, asks practical questions, and helps people identify patterns in thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Sessions include skill practice for coping, communication work, and attention to what keeps old hurts active in daily life.
Lauren draws on Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and the Gottman Method. She blends these methods to address symptoms and also to help people change unhelpful responses that keep guilt and shame going.
In sessions she focuses on clear goals such as improving communication, building boundaries, reducing reactivity, and improving self-esteem. She uses exercises and homework that aim to make small, steady changes between meetings. Lauren also works with issues tied to attachment, abandonment, codependency, infidelity, and forgiveness.
People who are carrying persistent guilt or shame often come for concrete tools and steady talk. Lauren invites clients to consider why those feelings persist, how they affect current relationships, and what manageable steps feel possible. To start, clients complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a first session.
Therapeutic approaches Lauren uses and how they work online
Lauren commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) in her work. CBT focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and teaching concrete skills to reduce anxiety, improve mood, and shift patterns that feed guilt. DBT provides tools for managing intense emotions, reducing impulsive reactions, and improving interpersonal effectiveness, which can help with relationship strain and codependency.She may also integrate EMDR for trauma-related memories when those memories keep shame or distress alive. EMDR uses structured processing alongside bilateral stimulation to reduce the emotional charge of specific memories, which can support other therapeutic work on self-esteem and forgiveness.
Finding the right mix of approaches is collaborative. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, test methods, and adjust plans based on what helps most. That discussion shapes whether sessions emphasize skills practice, processing past events, or communication work.
Confirm which session formats are available before booking, as the biography does not list specific formats. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into busy days - for example, by removing travel, allowing shorter check-ins, or offering sessions during a lunch break. They also let people continue work with one therapist across moves or travel while keeping appointments consistent.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
23+ years
Listed in
New York
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship and intimacy concerns, addictions, grief, parenting struggles, and issues such as guilt and shame.
How would she approach shame or guilt?
She combines talk work with practical skills from CBT and DBT and may use EMDR when trauma is involved to reduce the intensity of painful memories tied to shame.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 23 years of clinical experience working in a variety of settings with a wide range of concerns.
What credential does she hold and where is she located?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) licensed in New York and practices from that state.
Does she offer sessions in languages other than English?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the United States work with her?
International clients are accepted; confirm specific session details when booking.
How are sessions scheduled and what does cost look like?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time; confirm pricing during the signup steps.
How do I begin a first session?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.