Greetings! My name is Lauren Hufnagel, LCSW and I am a clinical social worker with a private practice located at the historic Ravenscroft building in beautiful downtown Asheville, NC.
The mission of my counseling practice is to help children, adolescents, young adults, parents, and families achieve their fullest potential. That may mean learning new skills for regulating emotions, changing behaviors, or healing from a trauma.
No matter what brings us together, we embark on a journey. It is a powerful journey of learning, understanding, working symbolically, and reconnecting to the wisdom that lies within.
Is your child’s disruptive behavior negatively impacting their academics or relationships? Are you frustrated by a stream of negative feedback from teachers or family members about your child’s disruptive behavior?
After a traumatic experience, is your child displaying erratic behavior you do not understand? Are they suddenly having nightmares, refusing to go to bed or sleep in their own room?
Do you have a young child, who has suddenly developed or continues to experience unexplained worry, fear or distress? Has this change manifested in behavioral problems, public meltdowns or tantrums?
"Parents don't come full bloom at the birth of the first baby. In fact parenting is about growing. It's about our own growing as much as it is about our children's growing and that kind of growing happens little by little."
-Fred Rogers
Family counseling is a sacred experience. It is an intentional time for families to come together, to work together, and to change together. The family counseling session is set in the safety and privacy of my office.
Young adulthood, the period of development that occurs after adolescence, ranging into the mid-20’s, is a time of intense transition, uncertainty, and change. Because of this, it can be quite anxiety provoking and an individual can have his or her first experience of an “identity crisis.”
Do you wonder if your teenager is maturing enough to be successful and happy in the world? Are you concerned about their level of independence, social development or relationship decisions?
"Avoid pushing too hard. Your children are full of spirit and will find their way...Know when to intervene and how. Do it with gentleness, firmness, swiftness, and respect."
-Vimala McClure
One of my most favorite things to do, is to support parents. That’s because the journey of parenting is met with non-stop developmental changes for both your child and you; navigating those changes can be daunting.
Mothering is awe inspiring. It’s astonishing and unconditional. It is energy, a non-stop flow of stimulus -input and output – shockingly exhausting, yet full of pride.
The purpose of a psychosexual evaluation is not to determine guilt or innocence, but to determine possible etiological factors that led to the abuse, assess the youth’s risk of recidivism, and make necessary treatment recommendations.