Lauren Ball, Master of Social Work, CA

Licensed

Online Counseling

(47 reviews)

MSW, LCSW Lauren Ball

Provides online counseling through BetterHelp

Mental health conditions are real, common and treatable.

And recovery is possible.

Lauren Ball is an experienced, licensed Mental Health Professional who specializes in affordable online therapy offered through our partner, BetterHelp.

More about me

Licensing: MSW, LCSW Years in Practice: 21 State: California

I think that each of us at one time or another struggles with self worth, coping with crisis, interpersonal conflicts, or problematic behaviors and can benefit from a caring counselor who understands, helps identify solutions, and who doesn't judge. Together we will work as a team towards the goals that you set, and assess our progress as we go. The hardest part is recognizing the need for help and having the courage to get started. I look forward to taking the next steps with you.

My style is to focus on the here and now, with practical strategies for making meaningful changes that fit you and your situation. I rarely dwell on the past, although at times it may lend helpful insight or identify patterns or beliefs that are affecting you today. My approach is to focus on strengths and solutions - without psychobable.

I am licensed in California, with over 20 years of experience in helping individuals, couples, and families experiencing life changes, parenting challenges, family conflicts, relationship problems, or substance use issues. I also have expertise and experience working with people who are experiencing difficulties with recent or past traumatic experiences.

Advanced Training: Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM), Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS)

About online counseling

Online counseling allows you to receive care from an online mental health practitioner via phone, video chat, or instant messaging. It is convenient for those who may have trouble getting to or would prefer not to have in-person therapy appointments. Starting at $65 per week, online counseling is generally more affordable than in-person counseling. A study by researchers at University of California, Berkeley found that online counseling can be just as effective as face-to-face therapy while being more convenient, affordable, and accessible.

Issues: Stress Anxiety Relationship issues Family conflicts Trauma and abuse Parenting issues Addictions LGBT Anger management Self esteem Career difficulties Depression Coping with life changes Coaching
Languages Spoken: English

Services offered

Professional, confidential, and judgment-free

When you tap CHAT NOW a new window will open and you'll be directed to a simple form that will help start the conversation.

Please note: It can take up to 24-48 hours to be matched to a therapist.

Reviews for Lauren Ball

Overall Rating

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Overall

Lauren is very insightful and she brings a great deal of expertise and professional experience to each session. She is an active listener, who shows both warmth and compassion. She is not timid when it comes to challenging you towards change and she is good at getting to the root of the issues that are causing continued life sabotaging behaviors. I am extremely grateful for her and the support that she has given me and I feel that anyone who has the opportunity to have her as a counselor will be immensely blessed!

I found Lauren to be an excellent listener who then developed an action plan that was relevant, practical, and effective. Should I feel the need is warranted for Lauren's excellent/objective input in the future, I will be sure to contact her again.

I have been working with Lauren for a number of years now and couldn't recommend her more highly. She has a depth of expertise in a wide variety of therapeutic styles that I really respond to. Personally, I think anyone open to therapy would feel the same. She has helped me organize my life, focus on my goals, and work through my issues in practical ways that have had tremendous real-world effects for me. Anyone who has the good fortune of being able to work with her I count as very lucky indeed.

After years of being my therapist, Lauren has always provided amazing support and love. I feel blessed that she has shown up for me to create a safe space to heal. #gratitude #serenity

I have been working with Lauren for a number of years and I hope to continue working with her for many more. She is compassionate, kind, insightful and very good at helping me figure out and face my issues, and work through my problems in constructive ways. I love how open she is to different approaches, and the vast wisdom she has to share from her clinical and life experience. I could not recommend a therapist more highly.

An amazing counselor, could not ask for more. It was a match made in heaven - she gets me and is invaluable with her expertise. So grateful to have her in my journey.

I have been with Lauren over a year now, and thanks to her help I feel I have grown a lot, I know and understand myself much better, and I have seen big improvements in the way I manage my emotions, my relationships, and pretty much all aspects of my life. I feel really lucky to have found such a good therapist, so wise, balanced, perceptive and insightful. I have always felt 100% supported and I have never felt misunderstood, not even once. I am truly grateful for all the support I have received from Lauren and I honestly cannot imagine a better counselor.

Great counselor very helpful and incite full

Lauren is an excellent counselor. I have been working with her for a number of years and couldn't recommend her highly enough. Her expertise is apparent, but she isn't cold or "professional" in the sense that she's very easy to talk to. She isn't constantly bombarding you with technical therapy talk, and yet she always has interesting suggestions and ways to reframe issues that are helpful and enlightening. She is very gifted in knowing when to be fully supportive and when to challenge me a little bit to help me learn and grow.

Lauren has been an invaluable resource, helping me navigate my way through life as painlessly as possible. I love that I can trust Lauren without a doubt. I like her style of counseling. It's not one dimensional, sometimes she just listens because I need to be heard more than anything else. Other times, I feel like we are brainstorming together regarding how best to handle any given situation. And most times, she challenges me with an assignment. (Not my favorite modality. ) And I saved the best for last. She never judges. I've shared information about myself that carries a lot of shame for me. Lauren has been wonderful helping me to broaden my perspective, and that has helped me heal tremendously. Please Lauren, don't think about retirement any time soon!

I have been working with Lauren for a number of years now, and cannot even begin to imagine what life would be like without her. Her insights, support, and poignant questions are invaluable to me in my personal and professional life. She has helped me grow immensely in our time together, and knows intuitively when I need a compassionate ear, and when I need a little push here or there in the form of an insightful question, or a fresh perspective on the events in my life. I really appreciate her pragmatic approach, she's not here just to be here, she doesn't talk just to talk, she's here to help me make progress, and I would not be on the path to achieving my personal and professional goals, and building a loving partnership with my girlfriend based on trust and communication without Lauren's guidance.

You have been a source of support, great listener and comfort during some of my lowest moments. Thanks for being there for me.

Lauren is an awesome listener. Keeps you on topic, asks you insightful questions, and gives wise direction. I’ve had a Weekly sessions with her for a little over two months and it’s made a big difference. I highly recommend her.

Lauren is amazing. She reaches out when I’ve gone dark and makes great recommendations on tools and other ways to cope. 5 stars all the way!

Worked with Lauren almost 2 years ago and she really helped me get unstuck. She was so great that now that I've hit a rough patch again I am coming back to get rebooted.

Lauren is great! I really have made so much progress with her help. She is amazing!

So very thankful!

Lauren's support and guidance has made a world of difference during the time in which I was recovering from a major emotional trauma. She has been patient, encouraging and also soothing when my emotions were sometimes beyond my control or ability to comprehend. The use of the message board, particularly in the beginning of the therapy, was particularly helpful so that we could interact in between meetings.

Lauren has always helped me with a all of what I need help with she’s amazing and always helps me get down to the issue I’d recommend her and this app to anyone who’s looking for a counselor

Lauren has been a big help to me and I look forward to going forward with her help.

Lauren is an excellent therapist. She already has many positive evaluations here and I'd agree with all of them. They are a testament to the consistency of her genuine care and professionalism.

I feel that my experience with BetterHelp has been a good one.

Lauren is brilliant and kind and thoughtful. I can write the most naked, messed up stuff to her — stuff I’m immediately embarrassed for having shared, and she always responds so professionally and with such understanding. I’ve never found a counselor like her, and I wouldn’t have found her if it weren’t for BetterHelp.

Lauren makes me feel heard and important. She definitely asks the right questions to make me realize and see things in a perspective i didn't see before. She messages me in a timely manner and that's awesome! I really recommend her.

I love Lauren. I've been working with her for a little over a year now, and she's become a mentor to me. She helps me to focus on taking care of myself before taking care of others, identifying and implementing compassionate boundaries, and is one of the only people in my life who is consistently encouraging and affirming. She also isn't offended by the way I express myself, and she feels comfortable helping me to reframe how I think about navigating life. To reiterate, I love Lauren!

Very happy with process so far.

Lauren has been amazing. I came to Betterhelp in a time when I was having a really hard time and I couldn't even bring myself to go find a therapist, so I used Betterhelp and Lauren made me feel totally comfortable opening up and helping me work towards getting better at my own pace, with a sense of compassion and understanding.

She's an amazing person. She help me find clarity.. and to become strong.. because of her, I know will be okay no matter what.. thank you

Very caring and thoughtful. She makes it easy to talk to

I can tell she actually cares.

Lauren is a kind and patient professional, who makes you feel as though you are being heard and never judged. She is a gentle guide, who will help you set goals by which to gauge your progress and give you the tools you need to see yourself more clearly and compassionately.

Really amazing therapist. She's nice and very understanding

Lauren is direct and empathetic without being overly sympathetic or condescending, and actively engages while listening which makes me feel heard and understood. She's very open about wanting her clients to utilize her as long as they'd like or can afford, which definitely takes the pressure off the client from initiating or avoiding such conversations. I appreciate Lauren's feedback and the initiative that she takes when sending me helpful tips and information between phone appointments. I highly recommend!

Lauren has been amazing and has provided me with much insightful advice and guidance. Highly recommend her!

Lauren is a strong, sound and empathetic counselor who can indefinitely help you to move on a more clear and emotionally sound direction in your life. I highly recommend her for any help you may need untangling and weaving a more integrated and healthy approach to whatever challenges you may face.

After seeing therapists in their offices for several years, I found in Lauren the help I had been looking for. I love the freedom to write whenever I want -and not when a appointment was made-. It's been only two weeks and I'm already feeling better and experiencing improvements in my life :)

I've tried a few different online counseling services and a couple of counselors here at BetterHelp. I use remote counselors regularly on an ongoing basis to manage stuff in my life that is stressful as a long-term strategy and general best-life goals. Happy with Lauren (finally a good fit). Planning on sticking around and eventually going on maintenance. I am sure she is just as amazing for short-term counseling. There are good therapists and then there are therapists good at remote and I think she does both well.

Lauren was very helpful at sorting my thoughts out often providing worksheets and diagrams for the betterment of my overall emotional health.

Lauren continues to be very professional, available, and provides valuable feedback to issues we discuss.

Very quick to respond and addresses my concerns very well.

Lauren has been super amazing so far in answering and asking any questions regarding my background and what needs I may have. I am extremely excited to be working with her.

Lauren is a wonderful therapist. I felt an affinity for her almost immediately, and her considered, articulate and thoughtful advice and analysis has been a great boon to me already. Receiving a message from her in my inbox is always the highlight of my day. She turns the therapeutic experience into an exciting adventure of self-discovery, I couldn't recommend her more highly.

Lauren has been amazing. I can say I feel a bit more relaxed ever since I started this counseling with her. I feel like she has the answer for me and the problems I've been going through for a couple years. I wont change over night, it takes patience and time but I know with her help, I'm going to be a better person for myself , relationships and family.

Friendly, positive, and helpful. She gives exercises, offers suggestions, and replies in a timely manner. You can count on her for support and to be a good sounding board.

Lauren is very kind and follows through to make sure her client is doing alright. She asks a lot of questions to help pinpoint the best way to she can help in an effective, compassionate manner.

Lauren Ball is an amazing counselor. In the past few weeks, she has given me more tools than other therapists have given me in months. She is very knowledgable about anxiety, depression, and PTSD. She has a huge toolbox of ways to treat these issues. She responds quickly, thoroughly and compassionately to all of my messages. Thank you Lauren, I am so glad to have found you on BetterHelp.com.

I am so grateful to be working with Lauren Ball. She is compassionate, non-judgmental, and very gentle with her very wise advice. When I began working with Lauren, I felt helpless and hopeless of a situation I am currently in. Nothing has changed outwardly, but because of Lauren's direction, I am able to handle a very difficult situation with a sense of peace that I had not experienced before. I believe Lauren to be very intuitive, and she clearly has a great deal of experience in her field. I would highly recommend Lauren for anyone needing tools to cope with a problem they cannot handle on their own.

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