Lauren Ripley, LPC

Lauren Ripley acknowledges that deciding to pursue therapy is a meaningful and often difficult step, and she affirms the importance of recognizing and celebrating each step forward. She frames seeking help as an act of self-improvement and brings a supportive, encouraging presence to the work of therapy.

She earned a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in 2016 from Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas and later relocated to Missouri, where she practices as a licensed professional counselor. LPC stands for Licensed Professional Counselor - a credential that indicates formal graduate training and state licensure to provide counseling services. Ripley has served clients in a variety of clinical environments, including college counseling centers, rehabilitation centers for drug and alcohol use, and private practice settings.

Her clinical experience includes helping people manage depression, suicide and self-harm concerns, anxiety, relationship issues with oneself and others, sexuality and LGBTQ-related matters, addiction, trauma, and family conflict. She emphasizes a flexible, multi-faceted approach to therapy and draws from several evidence-informed methods to tailor care to each person. Ripley’s style is relatable, personal, and straightforward; she values transparency in sessions and is willing to be direct while offering guidance, validation, and support. In therapy she focuses on clients’ strengths and identities as the foundation for change, and she often incorporates positivity and humor to help life feel more manageable. Her work centers on empowering individuals to explore their goals and build on what already makes them who they are.