Welcome! My name is Lauren Amlalo and as a pregnant teenager I always wondered what my life would shape out to be. I always knew I was destined to be different, break the mold and the stereotype that a young teen mom yields a disastrous life. From the time I looked my now 16 year old daughter in the eyes I knew that i had to create better for myself and for her. I decided to embark on a career journey that I knew would take time, commitment and perseverance. I decided to enroll in college at Central State University where I obtained a degree in psychology and learned about the wonders of the brain and how it works with your life experiences to mold you into the human that you ultimately become in late adulthood. I learned the effects of the subconscious mind to the conscious mind and how nurturing the two together can bring about breakthroughs for people, it can bring about healing.
With my own life experiences I have learned that having support can be the difference between a dark path and a bright one. I have learned that to the core people really just need people. We were designed to be connected to other humans. Life is not meant to be a solo journey, it is meant to be full of connections that help elevate you to become the best possible version of yourself. In working with various populations over the years my beliefs have only been solidified. People need people. People need support.
Along my journey my ideology has grown. I recognize that not all people have support. I recognize that there are some life experiences that cause you to become someone that you never intended to be. I recognize that bad life experiences can stunt your growth, change your life trajectory and leave you to feel lost. I recognize that the worse the experience, the higher the chances it has to negatively affect you. I recognize that in order to positively grow and move forward you need special support to assist you to work through those negative things so that your growth in life can continue. This can be seen across many populations with an array of negative experiences. I wanted to expand my knowledge of this and enrolled in a social work masters program at Western Michigan University, that taught me about various tools to utilize to support others who are in search of answers, guidance and healing. Along this journey of being of support for others, I have realized that the key to someone’s healing journey is already inside themselves, they simply need the support and guidance to find it.
I have had the joy of seeing refugees from various countries enter the United States of America full of hope and also fear of the many unknowns. I have been able to assist them with tools needed to figure out the simple things in life that many of us take for granted such as where to purchase food, how to get to the doctor’s office, how to enroll a child into school, and where to gather to meet new people as many traveled alone. I have had the joy of helping teenagers who had turned to illegal substance abuse figure out more positive ways to cope with their life stressors. I have had the pleasure of creating a community for those who have been diagnosed with a mental illness and assisted them with finding inclusion in this world that otherwise isolates them. I have found pleasure in finding innovative ways to guide children and teenagers who have been diagnosed with developmental disabilities and have experienced much trauma in their lives, find outlets, work through traumatic events, overcome fears,and develop trust in a world that had previously shown them how untrustworthy it can be. I take pride in working with women who are with child, recently birthed a child or simply have young children, figure out that there is no parent guide book but tools that can be developed and tweaked to make parenting a little less stressful. Working with these women who otherwise would have no support in navigating postpartum depression and/or anxiety. I have found fulfillment in helping families navigate the grieving process as they watch their loved ones’ lives slip away from them due to terminal illness. Many experiences have shown me that no matter the race, age, formal diagnosis, family dynamics, life experiences, or other varying factors in the world of support I am eager to be just that.
I have learned and utilized skills such as motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, and trauma informed therapy to help others work through hard life events and reach their highest potential. I would love to help you to reach your highest potential and help you navigate life’s many obstacles.
I am available for in person appointments.