Lauren Ball , LCSW

Lauren Ball is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in California with 21 years of experience helping individuals, couples, and families navigate life transitions, relationship challenges, parenting concerns, and substance use issues. She takes a practical, strengths-focused approach, working collaboratively with clients to set goals, track progress, and develop concrete strategies that fit each person's circumstances and values.

Her practice emphasizes the present moment and practical tools for change, though she will draw on earlier experiences when those insights help uncover patterns or beliefs that affect current functioning. Lauren prioritizes solutions and clear, accessible language over clinical jargon, aiming to make therapy useful and understandable from the first session.

She has advanced training in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy - DBT - as well as the Trauma Resiliency Model and Collaborative Problem Solving, which inform her work with clients facing trauma, stress, anxiety, and difficulties regulating emotion. Lauren also supports people coping with adoption and foster care concerns, blended family dynamics, caregiver stress, chronic illness or pain, codependency, and workplace or young adult issues. Her collaborative stance invites clients to be active partners in the change process, taking each step at a pace that feels manageable and purposeful.

Therapeutic Approaches for Online Care

Lauren draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy to guide online work. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - CBT - helps clients identify unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns and replace them with more effective strategies; it is often used for anxiety, depression, and stress-related concerns. Dialectical Behavior Therapy - DBT - focuses on skills for emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and improving interpersonal effectiveness, which can be especially helpful for people who struggle with intense emotions or relationship conflicts.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Lauren works collaboratively with each person to determine which methods best match their goals, needs, and preferences, adjusting the plan over time as progress is assessed.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility: sessions can take place by video call or phone, and additional support can be provided through live chat or text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules, access support during life transitions, and maintain continuity of care with licensed professionals when in-person visits are not feasible.