Hi, I’m Lyndsay Mclaren, a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor offering compassionate therapy for teens, young adults, and families in Santa Monica, West Los Angeles, and across California. I provide a safe, supportive space for clients to explore their emotions, strengthen relationships, and build the tools they need to navigate life with confidence and clarity.

I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Colorado State University and my Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Colorado Denver. Over the past 11 years, I’ve worked across outpatient, residential, and inpatient treatment settings, supporting adolescents, young adults, and families through complex mental health and relational challenges. These experiences continue to shape my approach today.

I offer an integrative, tailored approach that combines warmth, insight, and evidence-based strategies. Therapy is a space to pause, feel understood, and develop coping skills, while exploring the emotions, patterns, and relationships that may be keeping you or your family feeling stuck.

I draw from approaches including:

• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

• EMDR for trauma processing

• Internal Family Systems (IFS)

• Family Systems Therapy

This combination allows me to create a personalized, collaborative process designed to help clients gain insight, build emotional resilience, and strengthen relationships.

Much of my clinical expertise comes from working in adolescent residential treatment centers in Los Angeles, where I served as an individual therapist, family therapist, program director, and clinical supervisor.

Residential treatment is an intensive environment where teens and young adults receive surrounded support from therapists, families, and treatment teams. It reinforced a core belief I carry into private practice: to truly understand a client, you have to consider them within the larger context of their relationships and life experiences.

This perspective guides my work today. Even in individual therapy, I approach challenges through a family systems lens, helping clients see how their struggles are influenced by family dynamics, environment, and past experiences. This approach supports deeper understanding, lasting growth, and meaningful change.

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, being with my cats, practicing yoga, getting outdoors, and singing karaoke. These passions reflect my belief in balance, creativity, and meaningful relationships, both personally and professionally.