Lauren Garder is a Licensed Professional Counselor working in Oklahoma City, OK with 10+ years of experience in mental health and victim services. Lauren previously worked for the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services as the Senior Manager of Zero Suicide and Trauma Care, overseeing the expansion of trauma informed service systems and Zero Suicide Initiatives across the State. During Lauren’s time with the ODMHSAS, Lauren implemented a first of its kind in the nation partnership between a State agency and Family Justice Center to implement a “no wrong door” approach to serving survivors with mental health and substance use disorders and enhancing partnerships between certified victim service providers and community mental health and addiction recovery agencies. Lauren served as the State’s subject matter expert on trauma and specifically supported multiple federal grants as the subject matter expert on trauma and human trafficking. Lauren is CAMS trained (Collaborative Assessment for the Management of Suicidality) and enjoys working with victim service providers to enhance screening, support, and awareness for survivors who experience suicidality.

Lauren currently works in private practice providing individual therapy, training, consultation, and expert witness services. Lauren’s clinical work is mostly with survivors of chronic traumas, including domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. She has also worked in shelter, transitional, and inpatient settings in Oklahoma and Colorado. Lauren enjoys training on topics related to trauma, trauma informed care, and the intersections of victimization and mental health. As an expert witness, Lauren provides testimony and consultation in federal, state, and civil matters regarding domestic violence and trauma. Lauren has the honor of currently serving on the Oklahoma Crime Victims Compensation Board and previously served almost five years on the Oklahoma Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board.