who i work with
I work with children, teens, college students, and young adults — typically ages 8 through the mid-twenties — who are navigating the emotional weight of growing up, competing, and figuring out who they are.
A lot of the young people I see are doing everything “right” on the outside. They’re practicing, showing up, keeping their grades up. And yet something feels off — they’re anxious, burned out, disconnected from what used to feel meaningful, or quietly struggling in ways they haven’t said out loud to anyone. That’s exactly the kind of work I love to do.
I’m an especially strong fit for:
-
Young athletes carrying performance anxiety, burnout, or identity pressure tied to their sport
-
Adolescents dealing with anxiety, depression, low self-worth, or a sense of being stuck
-
Kids who feel misunderstood, or who’ve lost the spark that used to come naturally
-
Swimmers and aquatic athletes — I competed collegiately and spent years coaching club swimming, so I understand this world from the inside
-
Teens and young adults navigating identity questions, big transitions, or figuring out who they are outside of their sport
-
LGBTQIA+ youth and young adults looking for a therapist who is affirming and genuinely nonjudgmental
-
Clients who want a creative, active, or expressive approach rather than just sitting and talking
my approach
Here’s something I’ve noticed: the young people who need support the most are often the ones least likely to ask for it. They’re high-functioning enough that no one’s alarmed. They’re self-aware enough to know something’s wrong. And they’re independent enough that admitting they’re struggling feels like a kind of failure. If that sounds familiar — whether you’re the kid or the parent of that kid — I want you to know: that’s exactly who I’m here for.
I don’t think the things that bring young people to therapy are signs that something’s fundamentally wrong with them. More often, the anxiety, the perfectionism, the fear of failure — those are signs that they care deeply and haven’t yet found a way to carry that caring without it becoming a weight. My job is to help them build that.
Depending on what you need, our sessions might look pretty different from what you’d expect. I’m trained in Child-Centered Play Therapy, which sounds like it’s just for little kids — but creative, expressive, and movement-based approaches often reach adolescents in ways that straight conversation doesn’t. I also draw on ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), mindfulness and grounding work, and DBT skills for emotional regulation. I don’t follow a script. I follow the person in front of me.
I came to this work through sport. I competed in swimming at the collegiate level and spent several years coaching club swimming at Longhorn Aquatics, working with athletes from elementary school through high school. I’ve been on both sides of the relationship between performance and identity, and I understand how deeply those two things can get tangled.
People who work with me often say I’m warm, a little free-spirited, and genuinely engaged — I talk with my hands, I use humor when it fits, and I’m not here to be a blank wall. I think therapy works best when it feels like a real relationship. My goal isn’t to help you perform wellness. It’s to help you actually feel it.
specialties & focus areas
-
Performance anxiety and sport psychology for young athletes
-
Anxiety disorders and generalized anxiety
-
Depression and low mood
-
Self-esteem, self-worth, and confidence
-
Identity development and self-discovery
-
Life transitions and adjustment
-
ADHD
-
Adolescent mental health
-
Child-Centered Play Therapy
-
Expressive and movement-based therapy
-
Mindfulness and grounding
-
LGBTQIA+ affirming care
-
College student mental health
-
Swimmer and aquatic athlete support
a little about me
Outside the office, you’ll find me camping under the stars, hosting dinner parties with recipes I probably shouldn’t have attempted, or getting talked into another lap in the pool by my old college teammates. I’m still very much connected to the swimming world — it’s a big part of who I am. This year I’m hoping to learn to DJ and try scuba diving, which tells you something about how I approach most things in life.
I’m based in San Antonio and genuinely love this city. I’m currently welcoming new in-person clients at our Broadway office and virtual clients across Texas.
fees & availability
Sessions with Lauren Wall are $170 per session. The practice is private pay and does not bill insurance directly. Superbills are available for therapy services, and clients may be eligible for partial reimbursement through out-of-network benefits — we recommend calling your provider to confirm your specific benefits.
Current availability: Lauren Wall is accepting new clients both in-person in San Antonio and virtually across the state of Texas.
education & licensure
M.A. Counseling
St. Edward's University - M.A.
Clinical Mental Health Concentration
Trinity University - B.A. in Psychology
Play-Therapy Trained
Specialized training in working with children
LPC-A Texas #99611
Supervised by Quinn Smelser
Affiliations & Certifications
Club Swim Coach, Longhorn Aquatics
Trinity University Swim Team Alum
Lauren Wall is a Licensed Professional Counselor-Associate (LPC-A, Texas #99611), under the clinical supervision of Dr. Quinn Smelser, Ph.D., LPC-S, RPT-S, and the sport psychology consultation of Dr. Blakely Low-Sampson, Ph.D.
She earned her Master of Arts in Counseling with a concentration in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from St. Edward’s University (2025), and her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Trinity University.
Lauren completed her counseling internships with Communities in Schools of Central Texas, providing school-based counseling and play therapy to elementary-aged students, and with Assessment QMPH at Metrocare Services. She served as a club swim coach at Longhorn Aquatics for multiple years, working with athletes from early elementary through high school.
Specialized training includes Child-Centered Play Therapy, ACT, mindfulness-based interventions, expressive therapies, DBT skills, and school-based counseling.