Lauren Carpenter, LMHC
Hi, I’m Lauren! I’m a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and the owner of Atlas Therapy Collective. I’ve been working in the mental health field for over 10 years. I’ve had the opportunity to work with youth in the Fort Wayne school systems, nonprofit and community settings, clinical settings, and private practice.
I primarily work with children and adolescents ages 3 and up, as well as parents and families. I often work with anxiety, ADHD symptoms, family conflict, teen mood concerns, and behavioral changes or regressions that can come up during important transitions—starting a new school, welcoming a new sibling, changes in family dynamics, or other big life changes. I also provide parent consultations for caregivers who want support understanding and responding to challenging behaviors and emotions at home.
I also work with adults navigating ADHD, anxiety, perfectionism, people-pleasing, and hyper-independence. I have a special interest in supporting women through the perinatal and postpartum periods and the emotional and identity changes that can come with becoming a parent. I enjoy helping women navigate motherhood while also making space for who they are as individuals.
I have training in Early Childhood Attachment, Synergetic Play Therapy, and Sand Tray Therapy, and I enjoy using play and creative approaches to help children express themselves in ways that feel natural. I’m also currently working toward my Perinatal Mental Health Certification (PMH-C).
You will typically see me walking around the office in slippers or no shoes as that is my true self in the therapy space and I like to be comfortable. I believe therapy should feel like a space where you can be yourself and don’t have to have everything figured out before you walk through the door. I am also a firm believer that a little humor and sarcasm can go a long way when we’re working through the heavier stuff.
Outside of counseling, I’m usually spending time with my husband and toddler, reading a mystery novel, baking cookies (which occasionally make their way into the office), checking out a new coffee shop, or thrifting another basket I probably don’t need.