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Meet Lauren Lui, LMFT

Therapist helping women thrive in Sacramento

Hi, I’m Lauren, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT #139188). I specialize in helping women heal from childhood trauma, navigate anxiety & improve self-esteem, and find balance.

One of the things that excites me most about being a therapist is both honoring the uniqueness of each individual’s story and witnessing how the greater thread of relationships, joy, grief & everything in between connect us.

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Move Beyond Perfectionism & Self-Doubt to a Life of Confidence and Ease

Ready to stop just trying to survive? 

I work with women who feel the weight of keeping everyone else happy, often at their own expense.

Overwhelmed by anxiety, self-doubt, and people-pleasing, they push through, holding it all together while feeling exhausted and stuck inside.

The women I work with are ready to break free from the fear that keeps them overextending so they can learn how to trust themselves and express their needs without guilt.

Most of all, they want to feel less anxious and more secure in who they are.

Imagine stepping into a space where you don’t have to hold it all together, a space where you feel truly seen, supported, and understood.

You’ve spent so much of your life meeting expectations, managing emotions (yours and everyone else’s), and pushing through self-doubt. Here, you don’t have to do that. 

My approach blends deep insight with practical tools, helping you find relief from people-pleasing, and the weight of always being ‘the responsible one.’

Together, we’ll uncover the roots of your patterns, and build the self-trust needed to step into a life that feels lighter and more aligned.

I recognize the challenges a person of color may encounter in seeing a white therapist. I am not dismissive of these realities and prioritize addressing my privilege and its intersectionality within the therapeutic relationship. I am committed to actively engaging in these discussions to create a safe and inclusive space for all of clients.

What it’s like to Work With Me

In our sessions, you can expect a warm, collaborative space where we work through both the present challenges and the underlying beliefs and experiences that keep you stuck.

I believe a strong therapist-client relationship is key to change, so you can expect me to show up as my authentic self—compassionate, real, and here to truly support you.

What energizes me most as a therapist is collaboration– getting creative with you and tailoring our work so it feels individualized and empowering. 

Clients describe me as someone who loves metaphors, helps them connect the dots, creates an environment where they feel safe yet challenged to grow, and is deeply engaged in their process.

I know firsthand how vulnerable, raw, and transformative therapy can be. I’ve invested in my own healing and understand what it takes to sit in that space—to untangle anxiety and perfectionism, to let yourself be truly seen.

That’s why I approach this work with deep respect for your courage, and a commitment to making therapy feel both supportive and intentional.

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Specialties:

Anxiety & Emotional Overwhelm

Perfectionism & Self-Doubt

People-Pleasing & Boundaries

    • California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist #139188

    • M.S. in Marriage & Family Therapy- Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy

    • B.A. in Psychology- Point Loma Nazarene University

    • EMDR Basic Training Part I and II*

    • Ego State Therapy, Structural Dissociation, and EMDR Therapy

    • 8-week Introductory Internal Family Systems (IFS) Course

    • Exposure & Response Therapy for OCD 

    • Treatment Strategies for Perfectionism & OCD

    *Currently pursuing EMDR certification 

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MY MISSION

I created Living Gently Therapy to be a space where you can finally set down the weight you’ve been carrying—the pressure, the self-doubt, the endless “shoulds”—and rediscover a more fulfilling, peaceful way of being.

Many of my clients come to me feeling stuck in cycles of anxiety and overwhelm, constantly managing others’ needs while struggling to honor their own. If that sounds familiar, know this: you don’t have to carry it all alone.

Choosing gentleness with yourself doesn’t mean you’re selfish, nor does it mean giving up your ambitions. Your goals and drive are part of what makes you you, and I want to celebrate that.

But instead of letting them dictate your worth, we’ll explore how they can guide you from the passenger seat—so you can pursue what matters most in ways that energize rather than deplete you.

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YOUR HEALING JOURNEY BEGINS HERE.

Let go of the anxiety, trauma, and shame. Breathe deeply, live gently.

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