I’m Dr. Lauren Bartholomew, a licensed psychologist and IFS Institute Level 2 trained mental health provider. I also have a doctorate in clinical psychology and training in psychodynamic, humanistic and cognitive-behavioral approaches. I work with adults who are tired of second-guessing themselves in relationships, family dynamics, high sensitivity, and life choices that do not always fit the usual script. My work is IFS-informed and also draws from psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral approaches.
My practice is fully virtual for clients in Pennsylvania, New York, and participating PSYPACT states. I’m highly sensitive and childfree myself, and I continue to live COVID-consciously. That means some of the experiences people are used to explaining from square one are already familiar territory here. Outside of work, I enjoy hiking, horseback riding, crafting, and spending time with the people I care about.
A lot of the people I work with already have insight. You may know where the family pattern came from. You may understand why you people-please. You may even be able to predict exactly which part of you is going to show up when conflict starts. Knowing all of that is useful, but it does not always make the moment itself easier.
I want therapy to be a place where we can look closely at the whole situation. Your reactions matter, and so do the relationships, expectations, experiences, and environments that shaped them. We can get curious about the parts of you that overthink, smooth things over, shut down, brace for criticism, or suddenly start questioning a decision that felt completely clear yesterday.
I am also pretty direct. If I notice a pattern, I am likely to name it. If something does not quite add up, we can look at it together. Your choices still stay yours. My job is to help you see more of what is happening so the decision comes from a clearer place.
Because I share some lived experiences with the people I work with, certain conversations may require less translating. I understand high sensitivity personally. I am childfree myself and continue to live COVID-consciously. I still approach your experience as yours, with curiosity about what each of those things means in your life.
You will not be treated as the problem simply because you are sensitive, setting boundaries, living differently, or making choices other people do not understand.
Therapy with me is supportive, but it is not passive. I will listen closely, ask thoughtful questions, name patterns when I see them, and help you look at your experiences.
We collaborate in clarifying your values, and making sense of what you’re experiencing so that the choices you make feel informed, grounded, and genuinely your own.
I work with adults who spend a lot of time second-guessing themselves, especially when relationships, family dynamics, sensitivity, boundaries, identity, or major life choices are involved.
A lot of our work comes back to the same question: what changes when you stop automatically treating everyone else’s reaction as evidence that you are wrong?
I work best with adults who are ready to look honestly at what’s no longer working and begin making changes that feel like their own.
We start by looking at what you’re experiencing—including the relationships, expectations, and systems around you. All without automatically assuming you are the problem.
Together, we explore the patterns and protective responses you’ve developed, with curiosity about what they’ve been trying to help you survive, avoid, or hold together.
As you understand yourself more clearly, we work toward choices and boundaries that reflect your values. Not guilt, pressure, or someone else’s idea of how you should live.
