Lauren Hart, M.A., AMFT, APCC

11/16/2025

Our minds and our body’s are incredibly connected in so many ways. When our body holds tension it’s telling the brain it doesn’t feel safe, which then causes anxiety to fester.

So when you slowly breathe, and release that tension in your body, it activates the parasympathetic nervous system and tells your mind it can calm down.

Regulation starts in the body. 🤍

11/14/2025

A dream of mine has always been to eventually utilize horses in the psychotherapy context, and today I got to meet with a therapist friend of mine who also has that dream.

It’s a very big dream that will take a lot of time and resources, but it’s so fun talking about making it a reality! Hopefully someday, sooner than later, it WILL become a reality.

In the meantime, here’s a cute picture of us hanging out with my personal therapy horse (aka my best 4 legged friend of the past 25 years) 🤍

10/31/2025

Grateful for friends that understand the incredible beauty and the sometimes heavy burden of this career path. And especially grateful for friends that think Disneyland is the best use of self care we can utilize 😂 if anyone needs an incredible therapist for your kiddos, Jasmayne is your girl

10/22/2025

😬Where my anxious girlies (and gentlemen) at?
As someone who has struggled with anxiety all my life👇here are some things that I have learned to help in the moment of intense anxiety.

1️⃣Talking to my anxiety: i.e. “I know you are trying to tell me something. But I am telling you I hear you and I am safe.”
2️⃣Breathing: Slow inhale through the nose, slow exhale through the mouth
3️⃣Three down: Drop your jaw, drop your shoulders, drop your stomach
4️⃣Distraction: Watch a comforting tv show, call a trusted friend, or do a grounding technique like this one- Notice 5 things you can see, 4 things you can hear, 3 things you can touch, 2 things you can smell, 1 thing you can taste
5️⃣Movement: Go for a walk to release some of the adrenaline that the anxiety is creating.

All of these have scientifically backed reasons for helping, but that is for another post.

Let me know in the comments what else helps you!

10/14/2025

‼️What others say to you or about you does 👏🏼 not 👏🏼 define 👏🏼 your 👏🏼 worth 👏🏼

10/08/2025

Rapport is essential in creating a healthy, safe and comfortable therapeutic relationship, but when the client starts feeling safe enough to really open up. That’s when the deep work and healing begins!

10/08/2025

Now seeing clients in South OC on Thursdays! Click the link below to schedule a free consultation.

ocmentalwellness.com

Looking for therapy at a reduced rate? Meet Lauren Hart, Associate Therapist at OC Mental Wellness. Lauren offers compassionate, evidence-based care at a lower cost, making therapy more accessible without compromising support.

Visit ocmentalwellness.com to learn more or schedule a consultation.

10/06/2025

Didn’t get the best sleep last night and on day 4 hair. Have no idea what the back of my head looks like and that’s none of my business.

Happy Monday, friends!
We showed up. We are moving forward.
We got this! 👊

10/06/2025

🥱In an effort to keep this page 100% real… I am WIPED. It’s been a fun 3 days but it has also been filled with so much output.
😱Most people who meet me are shocked to learn I’m an introvert. I am very social and LOVE people…But my social battery can get low 🪫quickly and it can wipe me out if I don’t listen to my body and allow myself to refuel. If I don’t listen in time, I get snappy with my loved ones, my mind shuts down and I’m not able to be the therapist my clients deserve, and I start to procrastinate on things that need to get done, leaving me more tired and overwhelmed.

✋Sometimes I need to pause and smell the ocean 🌊 , read a book with my furry best friend 📖, spend some extra time with the horses and get my body moving 🐴, hold hands with my favorite tiny humans, or even let myself get a good cry in from a surprisingly devastating tv show 😅 (don’t watch We Were Liars unless you need a good cry. Picture on the last slide for proof😂).

Introvert or extrovert- we all need to be mindful to check in with ourselves and refuel BEFORE we are on empty.

So tell me! How do you refuel?? Let me know in the comments 👇

10/03/2025

Having community is an essential part of being human. And finding a community of therapists that all have Disney passes? Absolutely priceless. Thank you, for dreaming up and creating this community!

10/01/2025

This is me, just a human…not a wizard with a magic wand or a genie here to grant wishes.

Therapy isn’t about “fixing” you. It’s about creating a safe space to explore parts of you that might have been untouched, to find those repeating patterns you can’t seem to find but you know aren’t serving you well, to build up the tools to heal yourself, at your pace... You bring yourself, and I’ll bring compassion, understanding, and challenge when it’s needed and when you are ready. Together, we’ll do the work!