Inform us about your self!
My title is Lauren Mast, and I exploit she/her pronouns. I’m a Licensed Skilled Medical Counselor (LPCC) and have been with The Emily Program for about 4 and a half years. I’m an outpatient and co-lead therapist for digital CARE IOP for binge consuming at our St. Paul, MN Outpatient website. I accomplished my grasp’s program at Adler College in Chicago, Illinois, in 2016. I moved again house to Minnesota in 2018, the place I started my seek for new alternatives to develop and improve my studying. The Emily Program completely aligns with my values round meals and physique picture, and I really feel honored to have the chance on daily basis to assist individuals heal their relationship with meals, physique, and themselves.
What does a typical day appear like for you at The Emily Program?
A typical day for me entails seeing 4 to seven particular person shoppers and working considered one of our CARE IOP teams. I particularly run our Relationship with Self and Physique group for CARE IOP on Mondays, which I completely love as a result of I get to assist shoppers handle their relationship with meals and physique picture and assist them heal. As well as, I like to search out time to attach with my co-workers for seek the advice of and assist, or to only test in on our lives and share attention-grabbing issues with each other. I really like how The Emily Program has embraced an open-door coverage for anybody to say hiya when wanted.
What one factor do you want everybody knew about consuming issues?
So many issues! I can’t choose only one. I want there was extra training in our college programs about consuming, physique picture, bullying, and self-care. I want individuals understood that consuming issues can impression anybody at any measurement, race, age, or time of their life. Consuming issues don’t at all times look the best way we expect they do. Folks in our bodies of any measurement will be combating an consuming dysfunction. I want individuals understood the impression that feedback round meals and physique picture can have and that we have to be extra compassionate round individuals’s decisions with meals and their our bodies. I want our tradition was extra accepting of individuals in different-sized our bodies. I want our magnificence and clothes industries can be extra size-inclusive. Primarily, I want the world knew the way to embrace everybody’s magnificence, inside and outside!
What piece of recommendation would you give to these combating consuming issues?
Irrespective of the depth of your struggles, you deserve listening, assist, and remedy. Your ideas, emotions, values, and beliefs are essential! If you happen to don’t join with a supplier, it’s okay to advocate for a change and discover somebody who can take heed to you, aid you heal, and make you’re feeling snug in a session. Step one is acknowledging you might be struggling after which working towards making a name or speaking to your assist individuals. You deserve to search out happiness on this difficult world!
What’s one thing you’re actually happy with?
Actually, I’m actually happy with the individual I’ve grow to be in the present day. I’ve modified so much since highschool after I left Minnesota for school. I used to be at all times social, however I used to be extra reserved and shy in highschool, as I typically doubted my talents. Wanting again, I’ve lots of recommendation for little Lauren as she was struggling to search out herself.
Going to a school the place I didn’t know anybody was among the best issues I may have accomplished for myself. I used to be in a position to department out and meet so many superb individuals all through my education who helped me develop into the individual I’m in the present day. I grew to become extra assured and will settle for points of myself that I struggled with all through my childhood.
Additionally, I’m at all times happy with myself after I can keep in mind a password for my log-ins. My associate is aware of to depart me alone after I can’t determine the way to log into one thing. 😆 I’m engaged on it! Haha. I’ve radically accepted that life will at all times problem us, and for me, bravery is admitting and proudly owning our fears and emotions versus saying we aren’t afraid of something.
What do you love to do whenever you aren’t working?
Once I’m not working, I usually wish to spend high quality time with my associate, taking part in video video games or board video games with one another and our pals. We not too long ago obtained into the newly launched Zelda sport; we’re typically sitting on the sofa with each other as we play on our switches, with each of our cats (Dorian and Jean) curled up on my lap.
I’m all about attempting a brand new restaurant or going to considered one of our favorites for some self-care all through the week. I additionally like cooking or baking new recipes at house, spending time with household once we can, and tending to our backyard collectively. We not too long ago obtained a bunch of recent herbs and crops for our backyard that I’m so excited to see flourish this coming summer time!
After we can, we attempt to plan visits again to Chicago to see our pals and eat superb meals! I’m additionally a inventive at coronary heart and love to have interaction with any artwork kind. I usually like to make use of polymer clay to create little figures/buddies to share with others and unfold some pleasure across the workplace and with pals. I’ve accepted that I’ve a concern of lacking out (FOMO) on issues, so I usually am up for attempting something new and attending gatherings at any time when attainable, as I can discover the enjoyment in actions even when it isn’t a direct curiosity of mine. My associate will be very grounding after I’ve overbooked myself and wish to search out my calming, joyful place once more. My associate and I’ve been collectively for 9 years and are getting married in June 2024, so we’ve been busy attending to our wedding ceremony planning and making it a day to recollect!