Lauren Linford, PhD

  • Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Bio

One of the most rewarding aspects of being a psychologist is helping clients to feel authentically understood in a way that inspires hope and change. In addition to addressing their difficulties, I aim to forge a genuine connection and truly understand each client’s unique experiences. As I engage in this process, my objective is to guide them toward insights that can lead to positive changes in their lives.

In 2017, I earned my Bachelors degree in psychology from Brigham Young University. During my time as an undergraduate, I worked at an all-girls residential treatment center as a member of an interdisciplinary treatment team. I had the privilege of witnessing the incredible journeys of hard work and healing undertaken by both the young individuals and their families navigating a diverse spectrum of complex challenges such as trauma, addiction, eating disorders, mood and personality disorders, grief and loss, ASD, and self-harm. The examples of resilience and progress I encountered during this period fueled my aspiration to become a trained psychologist. From that point, I began pursuing my Masters and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at BYU in 2018.

During my graduate practica, I worked with adolescents, children, and families providing assessment and treatment services across diverse settings, including pediatric primary care, community mental health, and private practice. I completed my predoctoral internship with a women’s health focus at the Medical College of Georgia and Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center in Augusta, GA. There, I was formally trained in evidence-based trauma approaches (i.e., Prolonged Exposure, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Written Exposure therapy) and full-model dialectical behavior therapy. My clinical interests include trauma/PTSD, chronic emotion dysregulation and borderline personality disorder, OCD, and women’s health. My research work has centered on mindfulness and self-compassion-based approaches which I regularly incorporate into my treatment planning.

I operate under the belief that a high-quality psychological assessment can serve as a road map, guiding families and treatment teams to optimize treatment outcomes. A mistake that we as clinicians often make is initiating treatment without a comprehensive understanding of the presenting issues and, more crucially, our clients themselves. This unfortunately can lead to frustration, dropout, and lost faith in the therapeutic process. I believe that a thorough psychological assessment provides a channel through which we can pause and evaluate, using evidence-based processes. This ensures that our therapeutic efforts are fruitful, and that the client feels fully understood.

Experience

  • Therapy and assessment services, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA
  • Therapy and assessment services, Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA
  • Assessment and Consultation Services, Equality Clinic of Augusta, Augusta, GA
  • Therapist, Alliance Behavioral Psychology, Spanish Fork, UT
  • Therapist, Brigham Young University Counseling Center, Provo, UT
  • Therapist, Mountainlands Community Health Center, Provo, UT
  • Therapy and assessment services, Alpine Pediatrics, Lehi, UT
  • Therapy and Assessment services, BYU Comprehensive Clinic
  • Residential Supervisor, New Haven Residential Treatment Center, Saratoga Springs, UT

Education

  • PhD, Clinical Psychology, Brigham Young University
  • MS, Clinical Psychology, Brigham Young University
  • BS, Psychology, Brigham Young University