Lauren Chester

Lauren Chester is a registered and board-certified art therapist (ATR-BC), a Licensed Creative Arts Therapist (LCAT) in the state of New York, a Licensed Certified Art Therapist (LCAT) in the state of Oregon and has over a decade of clinical experience. Lauren works as part of EBAT's leadership team, providing clinical supervision to staff. Lauren is passionate about cultivating environments where people can practice sharing their whole selves. Lauren believes in the process of art as a conduit for communication and expression and is passionate about the use of art to encourage meaningful conversations.  Lauren’s practice of Art Therapy has been heavily influenced by the Disability Justice and Healing Justice movements and is non-hierarchical, co-creative, neurodivergent-affirming, and gender-affirming.

Lauren focuses on work with clients who are navigating: grief, anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation, substance use/addiction, trauma, and themes of identity such as gender and sexuality. Lauren also specializes in working with ADHD and autistic individuals and is trained in Floortime for their work with young children. A significant portion of Lauren’s clinical work (7 years) has been with supporting clients who identify as members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Lauren has worked in a wide range of clinical and community-based settings and with a range of populations in over 14 years of experience, including: schools (K-12), psychiatric hospitals, affordable housing, day treatment, and HIV treatment and prevention.

Lauren’s journey as a clinician began with formal education (a Bachelor’s of Fine Art at the University of Georgia and a Master’s of Professional Studies in Art Therapy from the School of Visual Arts in New York City).  However after navigating a major health crisis in 2013 Lauren became passionate about understanding how our minds and bodies can work together, and pursued additional training in supportive modalities, such as yoga (200-hour plus additional training in restoratives and trauma sensitive yoga).

When not working in Art Therapy, Lauren spends time loving their rescue dog and bestie Tucker, learning about motorcycles, digging around in the leaves for mushrooms, and herbalism.  Lauren's future goals include building out a schoolie as a mobile art studio, and using it to host meaningful conversations in the community through art making.

Lauren is available to see individuals ages 4 and up at the Oakland office on Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday (or virtually). She facilitates the High School Teen Art Therapy Group and Middle School Art Therapy Group. Lauren supervises EBAT's Provisional Art Therapists and Intern, supervises the Mills Peninsula Medical Center team, and serves as EBAT's Regional Center Referral Coordinator. Lauren is available for ATR supervision. They have also provided services for SCCOE, Human Good, ESUHSD, OUSD, The City of Oakland, and Satellite Affordable Housing Associates (SAHA).