Lauren Oestmann
Dedicated LCSW offering practical, collaborative care
LCSW Illinois
- Experience
- 15 years in practice
- Focus areas
- Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Trauma and abuse
- Approaches
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Languages
- English
About Lauren
Lauren Oestmann is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) based in Illinois who brings 15 years of clinical experience to her practice. She has worked across a variety of settings including residential substance abuse, adoption preservation, corrections, and with families, children, and teens.
Background and approach
Her background gives her experience addressing concerns such as stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, depression, grief, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and relationship and parenting challenges. Her therapeutic style is client-centered, strength-based, and solution-focused, drawing on evidence-informed methods to help clients build coping skills and practical strategies.
She commonly integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) alongside Motivational Interviewing, Trauma-Focused Therapy, and Solution-Focused Therapy to tailor sessions to each person’s needs. Lauren emphasizes collaboration and works with clients to identify goals, develop tools for managing symptoms, and navigate life transitions.
Sessions are offered via video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging, and she provides services in English. Prospective clients can begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a brief matching questionnaire, and scheduling according to therapist availability.
Online Approaches and Practical Support
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors to reduce symptoms like anxiety and depression; it emphasizes practical skills and structured techniques to address current problems. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) combines skill-building in emotion regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and mindfulness, and is often useful for managing intense emotions, impulsivity, and relational difficulties. Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative conversational style that helps people resolve ambivalence and strengthen motivation for change, often used with addictions and behavior change goals.
Determining the right approach is part of the therapeutic process, and Lauren collaborates with clients to match methods to their needs, goals, and preferences. She may integrate elements from these approaches so work feels targeted and personally relevant rather than one-size-fits-all.
Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, which allow appointments to fit into varying schedules and life demands. These formats make it easier to continue consistent work on coping skills, behavioral strategies, and problem-solving from home or other convenient locations, while maintaining regular contact with a licensed professional.
Frequently asked questions
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Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
15+ years
Licensed
Illinois
Languages
English