Lauren Zimmerman, Ph.D. (she/her/hers), is a Postdoctoral Resident at Premier Sport Psychology. She takes a strengths-based approach to providing client care and aims to create a safe and accepting space for athletes to share their unique lived experiences and identities. Lauren collaborates with athletes to foster performance enhancement, personal development and growth both within sport and in life, and improving mental health to maximize potential, goal pursuit, and life satisfaction.

Born and raised in Minnesota, Lauren was a multi-sport athlete and experienced firsthand the excitement and unique stressors associated with sports involvement. She developed an understanding and appreciation for the culture of sports and was inspired to start a new role that centered around allyship and advocacy with a focus on mental health. Her journey in psychology led to multiple moves across the country to engage in opportunities for continued learning and experience in the mental health field.

As a self-proclaimed sports enthusiast, Lauren decided to combine her passion for sports and psychology and tailored her graduate experience to work with student-athletes, providing individual therapy services and conducting annual athletic screenings. She received generalist training across outpatient mental health, university and department clinics, and VA settings as well as specialty training within trauma/PTSD, substance use, mood disorders, and assessments. Lauren earned her doctorate in clinical psychology at the University of Wyoming and completed an APA-accredited internship at the American Lake VA in Tacoma, Washington. Her work incorporates an intersectional lens to explore all aspects of a person’s identity with the goal of improving overall well-being. Lauren believes in providing holistic care that prioritizes physical and mental health by creating space to explore difficult experiences while promoting growth and healing.

In her free time, Lauren enjoys playing and watching sports, traveling, hiking, listening to podcasts, obsessing over her rescue dog, and spending time with family and friends.