Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren David.
Hi Lauren, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi, I’m Dr. Lauren David, a licensed psychologist here in town. I got started on this path a long time ago, as somehow I’ve known since a child that I wanted to be a psychologist. Remember that scene in Charlie Brown Christmas where Lucy sets up her therapy booth with “The Doctor is ‘In’” sign? I knew that would be me one day! This dream led me to majoring in Psychology at Southwestern University, then a Ph.D. program at Auburn University where I learned the art and science of being a therapist, received excellent training and supervision, and began growing my expertise in providing therapy to young adults, women, the LGBTQ community, and more. I completed a year-long doctoral internship at The Ohio State University Counseling Center, then my postdoctoral supervised hours as a staff therapist at the Florida Atlantic University Counseling Center. In 2019 I moved back home to Austin, TX to begin working in the private practice sector, and in January 2023 I am finally launching my very own practice – Empower Therapy ATX!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I am lucky that it has been a fairly smooth road through all of my training and working in early practice settings. I know that not everyone has such a strong conviction of the career they want to pursue or the support to pursue those dreams, so for those privileges, I feel grateful every day. The COVID-19 pandemic was certainly an unexpected bump in the road (to say the least), but it provided me with an opportunity to connect to my clients more deeply as we shared mutual grief in the loss and trauma happening in the world around us, and we were able to peek into our lives as real humans over Zoom sessions from our houses. And I think that being a therapist through this massive paradigm shift as given me new tools and skills to build even stronger relationships with my clients moving forward.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I launched Empower Therapy ATX at the beginning of January 2023 and could not be more excited. As a therapist, I specialize in working with young adults (mostly girls and women) through the particular challenges that one can face being woman-identified in this world. I have a passion for helping clients relate to their bodies in newer, healthier ways, which often translates to me seeing people who want to improve their relationship to food, exercise and their body image, and those who want to relate to their sexuality in fuller, more authentic ways. I have training in treating eating disorders, disordered eating, and sexual concerns, as well as more generalized training in treating relationship issues, anxiety, mood concerns, career dissatisfaction, identity development, and grief and loss.
People often come to me for therapy when they have been struggling because the world and the people around them expect their bodies to look and be a certain way, and they don’t want to live in that pain and discomfort anymore. So often as women, we are told how to act, how to eat, how to speak, how to make ourselves more palatable to please others – and it’s very constricting! I help people tap into their own internal source of identity and power and use that newfound knowledge to change how they experience themselves in relation to the world around them. It’s a wonderful and joyful change to witness!
In addition to the work I do with individuals, my second specialty is working with couples. My theoretical orientation to practice is very relationally based, which lends itself well to understanding the dynamics at play in romantic relationships and where they can go awry. I’ve studied several major theories of couples therapy, including PACT and Gottman Therapy, and am often bringing in my s*x therapy training to couples’ work as well. People see me at all stages of their relationships – newer and had some bumps, about to take the next major step and wanting to feel secure that it’s the right one, together for years and wanting to make improvements or repair major damage. I’ve even helped couples through the breakup process, which is of course always painful but can be eased with proper care and tending to the feelings previously created within the relationship. At any stage, however, I am helping my couples therapy clients learn how to care for one another better and create more secure functioning in their dynamic, which is the true mark of a healthy and strong relationship.
With any of my clients, I pay special attention to their intersecting identities and the different ways they experience the world than I do as a straight, white woman. I am careful never to assume I know my client’s reality and know that I will never have the same lived experience that they do. People of marginalized identities have a more limited access to quality mental health care, something that I hope will soon change. Until then, I do my best to be LGBTQ+ affirming and knowledgeable, to welcome people of all identities and relationship configurations, to be sex and kink positive, and to remain open, curious, and nonjudgmental so that people feel safe to open themselves up in therapy with me.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
After being born and raised in Austin, then moving away for several years before returning as an adult, I can say that I am VERY happy for Austin to be my personal and professional home. There is truly nowhere else like it! I love that we are a college town and a booming metropolis. That the city has young, vibrant energy and a rich history. Town Lake (as I shall always call it) and our growing downtown skyline never fail to make me smile, no matter how many times I see it and am enjoying its beauty again. I’ve made it a practice to be out on the water (usually on a paddle board) on the eve of the summer solstice, and love that I can be on the water, in the greenbelt, and see the beautiful blue sky for so many months of the year. Now if only we could do something about the traffic!
Pricing:
- Individual Therapy – $175
- Couples Therapy – $200
- Gender Affirming Surgery Evaluations – $100
Contact Info:
- Website: www.empowertherapyatx.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlaurendavid/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laurendavidpsychotherapy/
