Lauren Jin Yong Schneider (She/Her/Hers)

Life can throw many challenges our way and reaching out for help can be intimidating. My commitment as a therapist, is to support you every step of the way, wherever you are, with unconditional acceptance and the utmost respect.

 
My primary area of expertise lies within individual and couple therapy, drawing from cognitive-behavioral, interpersonal, and somatic experiencing therapies. I specialize in the treatment of anxiety, depression, relationship & interpersonal issues (i.e., including communication, assertiveness, social skills building), self-esteem, and disordered-eating & body-image. I also provide couple and family therapy, drawing from emotion-focused and Gottman research/techniques to support couples experiencing concerns related to communication, desire and/or value discrepancies, emotional distance, and life transitions. 

My therapeutic approach is client-centered and practical, helping clients develop the self-regulatory skills that fit for them, to check in with themselves, to attune to their needs and wants, to self-soothe, and to understand and exercise their ability to control stressors, emotionally-dysregulating influences, and other important aspects in their lives. In therapy, we will collaborate to create goals and a treatment plan that truly resonates with you, to decrease the negative moments and create positive change for the future. My priority is to help you cultivate self-acceptance and self-love, understand yourself on an intimate level, reconnect you with what’s important to you, help you achieve relief from adverse symptoms and find happiness in your life, and help you build the necessary skills to get you there.

About Me

Hi there, my name is Lauren, and I am a registered psychotherapist (qualifying) with the College of Registered Psychotherapists, holding a master’s degree of Counselling Psychology from the OISE Institute at the University of Toronto, and with specialized training in the treatment of emotion dysregulation, eating disorders, and Gottman couple therapy. 

My experience supporting individuals from various walks of life have allowed me to appreciate diverse human experiences and the strength that lies within each person. We all have our own unique experiences, lens through which we see the world, and goals – all of which are valid and valuable. As a multiracial clinician, originating from a family of first-generation Korean immigrants, and having experienced my own stressors and therapeutic journey, I understand the importance of aspects of our identity and to consider external challenges that contribute to our distress. Our experience makes us who we are and being able to understand, accept, respect, and love and prioritize ourselves is integral to attaining our vision of a life that is fulfilling and that we are truly happy living. 

My approach emphasizes cultural sensitivity, individual experiences, and a utilizes a client-centred, clinically anti-oppressive approach, while challenging clients to capitalize on their inner knowledge, strengths, and resourcefulness that already lays within them, to understand their capabilities in creating positive change and exercising control over their lives, with self-compassion.

Above all, I believe in maintaining high, individualized standards of care and implementing evidence-based approaches to allow for self-development and therapeutic healing in a safe, comfortable environment. Your needs are important to me and my commitment is to walk alongside you, supporting you every step of the way. Please feel free to reach out if you’d like to chat about your reasons for seeking therapy further, assess our goodness of fit to begin therapy together, and to give you the space to express any questions or concerns you might have about therapy. I look forward to meeting you!