Ivanhoe

Lauren is an educational psychologist with experience working in schools as well as in the public and private sector.

Lauren has experience working with a range of complex emotional and behavioural presentations such as anxiety, attachment, issues related to adjustment, grief and loss, school-related stress, and neurodiversity. Lauren also has experience in treating children and young people with eating disorders using Family Based Therapy. While Lauren enjoys the therapeutic journey, she has a keen interest assessment. She enjoys conducting assessments that identify strengths and areas of development with regards to cognition and learning, such as verbal and nonverbal reasoning skills or working memory. Lauren is also skilled at conducting diagnostic assessments, especially in the realm of neurodiversity, to diagnose conditions such as Specific Learning Disorders, ADHD, and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Lauren prides herself in writing excellent reports that are easy to read and understand.

Lauren is trained in several evidence-based therapeutic approaches, including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Narrative Therapy. She is also trained in a variety of different forms of play therapy including non-directive play therapy, Theraplay and Child Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT). Lauren advocates for play to form an integral part of a child’s life and is often amazed at the impact a session of play can have on the wellbeing and mood of a child.

Lauren completed her doctorate in psychology at Rhodes University in South Africa and examined psychological wellbeing and its protective factor in high stress environments. She has a keen interest in using this knowledge to support teachers to manage complex workloads and their own mental health, while teaching to a high standard of excellence.

Lauren spent five years teaching English Home Language up to Grade 12 level before she retrained as a psychologist. Because of her background in teaching literature, she enjoys adopting a narrative approach to supporting clients. This approach empowers clients to explore and reshape their life stories, while experiencing healing and change.