Lauren M. Zaeske, Ph.D. (she/her) is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Albert & Jessie Danielsen Institute. She received her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Kansas (Lawrence, KS) and completed her doctoral internship in health service psychology at Lehigh University’s Counseling and Psychological Services (Bethlehem, PA). Dr. Zaeske’s dissertation explored the process of healing and psychotherapy for those who have been harmed by adverse religious/spiritual experiences, eliciting both lived experience and psychotherapist perspectives. Dr. Zaeske’s research interests include the psychotherapy process for spiritual/existential/religious/theological (SERT) topics and concerns, the psychological impact of adverse religious/spiritual experiences and process of healing, and the development of virtues and flourishing.
As a researcher and therapist, she is motivated by her desire to see individuals and communities flourish and cultivate authentic relationships. Her clinical and research interests largely overlap, including issues of identity and formation, developmental trauma, grief, perfectionism, and SERT-related topics and concerns (including adverse religious/spiritual experiences). In working with individuals, couples, and groups, Dr. Zaeske is deeply committed to fostering a collaborative and relational therapeutic environment that encourages authentic change and healing. She approaches therapy through relational and depth-oriented modalities, with attention to intersectionality, strengths, and systems. She hopes to foster curiosity and compassion within her clients, attending to patterns of interpersonal and intrapersonal dynamics, and processing the experiences that have influenced these patterns.
Dr. Zaeske is a member of the American Psychological Association’s Division 17 (Society of Counseling Psychology) and Division 36 (Society for the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality).