LEL IN THE MEDIA
Owner and Founder of LEL Therapy, Lauren Larkin, LMHC is a New York City-based therapist, consultant, and mental health advocate with a background in PR and entertainment. Drawing from her lived experience with eating disorder recovery, she provides holistic, relational care, and offers clinical consultation, professional trainings, and private practice support. Lauren shares her lived experience alongside clinical insights with her social media following and through appearances in news outlets, podcasts, and speaking engagements.
See some of her media features below:
Women’s Health
In this, article, Lauren Larkin, founder of LEL Therapy gives her two cents on why a “lily pad” jump in your career or relationships can be helpful for creating change and combating perfectionistic thinking in your life. Sometimes you don’t need the “right” or “perfect next step, you just need to start moving!
Watch and Listen Here
Inspiring My Generation Podcast
Unveiling Self-Disclosure: Journey from Eating Disorder to Licensed Therapist with Lauren Larkin: Should a therapist self-disclose their struggles, symptoms, and/or diagnosis? And, if so, when, where, and how should they disclose? In this episode, we follow Lauren's journey from living with an eating disorder to seeking treatment and ultimately establishing her own private practice as a therapist. Join us as we navigate the intricacies of normalizing appropriate self-disclosure in therapy, aiming for deeper connections and validation.
Trust & Thrive Podcast
In this episode, Trust & Thrive Podcast host, Tara Montazeri and LEL Therapy’s founder, Lauren, chat about Lauren's experience getting into the mental health field. We both fangirl over each other's content and discuss anxieties, fears, and the joys around posting online as a therapist.
Watch and Listen Here
Heard Business School
In this episode, therapist and content creator Lauren Larkin joins host Michael Fulwiler to discuss the challenges and triumphs of building a successful private therapy practice in New York City. Lauren shares insights into her journey, from standing out in a saturated market to going viral on social media, which helped her connect with clients and grow her business. She emphasizes the importance of setting boundaries to prevent burnout, finding mentors, and implementing financial strategies for sustainable success. Additionally, they discuss how Lauren’s relatable content builds trust with clients and clinicians and her approach to strategically expanding her practice by building a waitlist before hiring new therapists.
Quiet The Clock Podcast
In this episode of “Quiet the Clock” (Watch on YouTube HERE) Beth Gulotta and her mentee and friend Lauren Larkin delve into the complex decision of egg freezing. Lauren, contemplating this significant step, discusses the emotional and relational dynamics with her partner Mike, emphasizing the need for support and open dialogue. They explore societal pressures, personal fears, and the importance of making choices aligned with individual desires rather than external expectations. The episode also touches on the practicalities of the process, from clinic visits to scheduling and prenatal preparations. Beth shares her insights, encouraging involvement and communication between partners. Both emphasize the importance of sharing similar stories to normalize different timelines and paths.
Huffington Post
In this Huffington Post article, The 1 Gen Z Habit Everyone Should Steal, Lauren Larkin, LMHC and founder of Lel Therapy, sees Gen Z’s use of “Do Not Disturb” (DND) as a tool for setting boundaries in an age of constant connectivity. She explains that DND helps users control their availability and focus, which can be especially beneficial for those with ADHD, as it allows them to respond to messages at their own pace. However, Lauren cautions that frequent DND use could indicate underlying anxiety or depression if it’s driven by avoidance or overwhelming stress. She encourages users to reflect on why they’re using DND to ensure it’s a healthy boundary rather than a coping mechanism for deeper issues.
Quiet The Clock Podcast
In Episode 30 of “Quiet The Clock,” we are joined by therapists Jessi and Lauren to discuss the unique challenges and societal expectations for women at age 30, along with the pressure many women face concerning marriage, motherhood, and fertility.
Their conversation focuses on embracing uncertainty, shifting personal mindsets and the potential importance of egg freezing. They highlight the importance of getting really clear and grounded in what you want and when so that you don’t feel the pressure of external voices or expectations.Their conversation is a deep dive into the burden of responsibility placed on women, fertility health, and the role of partners in modern dating and relationship issues in NY. Jessi and Lauren offer incredible advice on how to hold space for all the things you are feeling and how to get comfortable with the unknowns and your own anxieties as you navigate your 30’s.
Simply Intuitive Podcast
New York City eating disorder specialists Michelle Pillepich, RD, and Lauren Larkin, LMHC, come together to discuss their expertise in treating clients with eating disorders. Lauren shares her own recovery story, highlighting how it shapes her approach to client care. Known for her collaborative work with dietitians, Lauren and Michelle’s partnership represents a care team match made in heaven — an integrated care team offering comprehensive eating disorder support.
If you are seeking eating disorder support, know that there is hope! Reach out today for support!
Shrink Chicks Podcast
ShrinkChicks, Emmalee and Jen, are joined by Lauren Larkin, LMHC, and they are talking all things dating! Lauren shares some of the work she does with her clients around dating, a specific exercise she uses, her own personal red flag/deal breaker story, and how she worked through it. Em, Jen and Lauren answer your questions about NYC dating and relationship issues like dating red flags, share why they disagree with some of the rigid dating advice that’s out there, and discuss the many nuances and gray areas around dating. Tune in to find out why Lauren thinks closure is BS and to gain some insight, awareness, and action when it comes to red flags, deal breakers, and if there's room for flexibility in relationships!
CBS NEWS —Renfrew Center helps New Yorkers Struggling with Eating Disorders
Millions of people struggling with an eating disorder often find their struggles difficult to talk about. Experts say nearly 10% of Americans will develop anorexia or bulimia, but as CBS2's Nick Caloway reports, there is help available. Lauren Larkin, LMHC, former client of the Renfrew Center, shares how her experience in eating disorder treatment impacted her life both then and how it continues to shape her work now as a licensed mental health counselor in NY.
This segment was filmed in honor of Eating Disorder Awareness Week. If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, don’t hesitate to reach out to us via our contact form here. Recovery is possible!
GMA ONLINE— Diet Talk Can be Overwhelming at Thanksgiving. Here are Tips to Cope
Lauren Larkin, Therapist in NYC, provides advice for coping with diet talk around the holidays: including keeping in mind that these events are just one meal, one day out of your life, and that post-eating-disorder-recovery holidays can be an opportunity to start new traditions! Remember to keep these in mind not only during the holiday season, but throughout the whole year! Therapy is available for those who need extra support with eating disorders. Reach out to one of our relatable NY therapists today!
Which Came First: Depression or Eating Disorder? — Outweigh
Mental Health Counselor Lauren Larkin shares her own personal journey of eating disorder recovery plus how she professionally guides her clients away from shame and into their true essence. This podcast challenges the “I’m not sick enough mentality”, the isolating nature of eating disorder recovery, and how eating disorders may be related to things like traumatic experiences, anxiety, depression, OCD and dating and relationship issues. There are so many ways eating disorders impact the rest of your life and vice versa. Read for more!
REAL FCKN TALK
NYC Relational Therapist Lauren Larkin, LMHC is a recurring guest on the podcast, Real Fckn Talk, with her friend and peer Brenna Guinan. The episode topics she is featured on are linked below and discuss how many relational therapists in the helping profession often go through their own mental health struggles, how trauma affects the brain and body, and how the societal pressures put on women affect mental health as well.
Disordered Eating & Mental Health— Ali McG
The holiday season can be a difficult time of year which is why Lauren Larkin who is Mental Health Counselor based out of New York City sits down with Ali McG on her podcast to discuss navigating recovery during this season. Lauren’s areas of expertise include eating disorders, anxiety, depression, relationship issues and trauma work. Aside from being a professional in the mental health industry, Lauren is not only an eating disorder clinician, but she has personally gone through eating disorder recovery and has dedicated her professional life and work to help others break free from all that the eating disorder can take from someone’s life. Lauren believes recovery is possible!
Thrive Global
In this article for Thrive Global, Lauren Larkin, LMHC shares her personal journey with an eating disorder, which ultimately led her to becoming a therapist and opening LEL Therapy, a completely virtual NYC therapy practice. Lauren goes on to emphasize the importance of speaking openly about mental health struggles for healing. After years of silently suffering, Lauren realized that seeking help, rather than trying to "fix" herself alone, was essential to recovery. By sharing her story, she hopes to remind others that it’s okay to seek help, and that real recovery, though challenging, is worth the effort.
Services Offered by Lauren:
Lauren offers clinical supervision for licensed therapists working with eating disorders, trauma, and more, using a holistic, relational approach to client care. She also provides consultation for therapists building private practices, with expertise in PR and marketing to guide them in branding and caseload development. As a speaker and trainer, Lauren covers mental health topics like burnout, group therapy, and social media for clinicians, drawing on both personal experience and clinical knowledge. Additionally, she hosts networking events and organizes retreats for therapists to support connection, self-care, and professional growth.
Services Offered at LEL Therapy:
LEL Therapy is a completely virtual therapy practice offering mental health counseling services in New York. Our therapists are relational therapists who specialize in therapy for all types of eating disorders, including but not limited to Anorexia, Binge Eating Disorder, ARFID, Bulimia, Disordered Eating, and body image concerns. We are experts in couples therapy/relationship therapy, offering support to all types of relationships — romantic, platonic, familial, etc. We specialize in trauma therapy. We offer group therapy for survivors of sexual assault. And we treat anxiety and general mental health conditions. We would love to help you on your mental health journey.