Lauren E. Mays, Psy.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Services
I provide both short and longer-term individual psychotherapy to adults, students (undergraduate and graduate), and adolescents (ages 15+) who are seeking greater insight into their thinking, behavior, and emotional patterns, as well as those who are currently experiencing psychological discomfort. Individual therapy can be a time to focus on yourself, your strengths, and your areas of growth.
I specialize in treating individuals who are experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety, healing from trauma, as well as those who are having difficulty in their relationships. I work actively with these individuals to gain insight into symptoms by both exploring their origins and how they have been maintained through past and current experiences. In a safe and trusting environment, I work with clients to explore difficulties with vulnerability, tendencies to be self-critical, and desires for closeness, among many other areas.
I have a deep understanding of the challenges that college/graduate students and young professionals face as they navigate life transitions. However, much of life is about adapting to changes. My approach readily applies to individuals of all ages and helps them learn tools to facilitate adaptive rather than harmful responses to life stressors to create a stronger sense of self and overall well-being. No matter what age you are, or the circumstances you are under, therapy can be a great first step on a powerful journey of transformational self-awareness and a way to discover new strategies to increase your ability to cope with these issues.
Individuals from the LGBTQ community face unique challenges due to the discrimination and stigma of living in a heteronormative culture. Regardless of whether you are seeking help for related to your LGBTQ identity or not, creating a warm, affirming, collaborative environment is central to my practice.
Consultation
I offer a complimentary 20 minute phone consultation session. During this session, we will talk about the reason(s) you are seeking therapy, a bit about your background, and start thinking about next steps.
If you did want to schedule a consultation session today, or for more information, you could contact me one of three ways. You can use my contact form, call me at (202) 660-1322, or e-mail me at Drlaurenmays@gmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you!
Individual Psychotherapy
"The wound is the place where the Light enters you." –Rumi
Well-Being Screening
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What's the point?
The well-being screening is a unique and powerful assessment in mays ways. The goal is to provide you with a useful framework that sees you as an individual and explores where you are currently in the context of where you’ve been. For example, think of a particularly meaningful event in your life. How did you react? If you’re like most people, your traits, history, culture, etc. impacted how you adapted to this event. I have an extensive background in psychodiagnostic and personality assessments, and while I truly believe in their value, they tend to be focused on "what's wrong." With the well-being screening, the focus is to offer you the whole picture in a way that helps you better understand “why you do what you do” and better appreciate some of your roadblocks but also what has (and will make you) resilient.
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What's Involved?
You will be asked to provide information regarding your overall well-being during one 50-minute interview session and on standardized questionnaires. I then integrate this information and provide you with a written report outlining your functioning in specific areas of well-being (e.g. relationships, life satisfaction, coping skills, etc.) with respect to your developmental history, personality, and beliefs. Based on this conceptualization, I will provide you with targeted recommendations on how to increase your resiliency and ability to live in accordance with your values. In sum, the screening consists of:
- 50 minute interview to formulate goals and information
- Series of questionnaires (30-50 minutes) assessing personality, relationships, early childhood attachments, and values
- 50 minute feedback session to go over the written report and discuss next steps
Although the written report incorporates information gathered by interview and standardized questionnaires, it is not meant to take the place of a comprehensive psychological assessment. Moreover, while this screening does take symptoms into account, diagnosis is not the primary purpose. Since insurance companies are designed to reimburse for the treatment of illness, it may not be covered by most insurance companies. I recommend that you contact your insurance provider to discuss out-of-network benefits and reimbursement options (see Common Questions)
To set up a well-being screening or for more information, please use my contact form, e-mail me at Drlaurenmays@gmail.com, or call me at (202)660-1322.