Lauren Hart, M.A., AMFT, APCC

12/30/2025

If you can relate to any of these, the way to help yourself isn’t more discipline, ✨it’s more care.✨

Burnout is not a motivation problem, it’s a capacity problem.

When you have been under continuous demand (as most of us are this time of year), these signs are a protective response from our nervous systems; doing their best to cope.

Grace and self-compassion are not indulgent.
THEY ARE REGULATING.

✨Reducing expectations, slowing your pace, and responding with kindness, lowers physiological stress, restores emotional regulation, and increases capacity over time.✨

Healing doesn’t come from pushing harder.
✨It comes from listening sooner.✨
MentalHealthCommunity

12/19/2025

Wrapping up the last few clients of the year and feeling so grateful.

This year has brought a LOT of challenges for me, for my clients, and for a lot of people around me. But we chose to work on ourselves, to find the joy in the midst of the hard, and to come out of it all better people.

This world can be so negative, so can we start a thread of gratitude and celebration? Share with me below and let us celebrate the big things and the little things with you!

12/10/2025

Another fun morning with the ! (And yet another picture of and I with our emotional support Pooh lol).

11/29/2025

It all has a purpose 🤍

11/25/2025

Sometimes the chaos and hardships of life seem to hit all at once and can feel all consuming. It’s so important to find the little joys in life to keep you grounded and to remind you there is still good, joy and peace in the midst of the chaos, stress and pain, even if it’s just taking a 5 minute pause to watch the sun set and breathe.

What are some small joys you have found today?

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.