Lauren Carter

Hello, I’m Lauren.

Whether you are dealing with a specific issue or have that feeling something isn’t right, therapy can be a powerful tool to explore your thoughts and make positive changes. There isn’t anybody that couldn’t benefit from an hour a week, dedicated to them, especially at times when life feels too much to handle on our own.

You may be feeling overwhelmed, stuck in patterns that are hard to shift, or carrying experiences that still feel very present in your body. Perhaps anxiety, trauma responses, or coping behaviours are beginning to take their toll.

I offer a warm, collaborative space where we can gently explore what has brought you to therapy and work at a pace that feels safe for your nervous system. Many of the people I support are used to coping on the outside while feeling overwhelmed underneath.

I have over 18 years’ experience in mental and emotional wellbeing, including 2.5 years working within a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre supporting clients affected by addiction.

Alongside talking therapy, I draw on embodied and somatic approaches to trauma, using body awareness where appropriate to support deeper regulation and self-understanding. This can be particularly helpful if you notice yourself becoming easily overwhelmed, shut down, or stuck in cycles that feel difficult to change through insight alone.

I offer face-to-face counselling in Chart Sutton (Maidstone area) and from Green Porch and Newington NHS Medical Centres in Sittingbourne.

I understand that starting therapy can feel daunting. I offer a free up-to 30-minute phone consultation, so you can get a sense of whether working together feels right for you. There is no obligation to continue.

I am fully insured and DBS checked. 

I work integratively, which means I tailor therapy to you rather than following one fixed approach. My style is warm, collaborative and paced carefully around your needs and capacity.

My work is trauma-informed and draws on relational, psychodynamic and somatic approaches, alongside basic mindfulness and breathing techniques, where helpful.

I have a particular interest in supporting:

* Trauma and nervous system dysregulation

* Anxiety linked to past experiences

* Addiction and compulsive coping

* Neurodiversity - emotional overwhelm and shutdown

Where appropriate, mindfulness and body-based awareness can support you in developing safer, more sustainable ways of managing emotional and physical distress.

Please take a look at my website for more information.

Our first face-to-face session is an opportunity for us to meet and for you to get a sense of how it feels to work together. I allow slightly longer for this first session.

We will cover some initial information and confidentiality, but most of the session is your space to share what has brought you to therapy and what you are hoping for support with.

We can also talk through any apprehension you may be feeling about starting therapy. Questions are always welcome.