Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Petka.
Hi Lauren, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I didn’t arrive at this work by accident—my path into therapy is both professional and personal. Experiencing the impact of therapy in my own life is what initially led me here, and it continues to shape how I show up with clients today.
I completed my Master’s in Education and Human Development at George Washington University, where I trained in rehabilitation counseling. From there, I worked across a range of settings, including community mental health and traumatic brain injury rehabilitation, which gave me experience supporting people through complex and often overwhelming life circumstances.
After moving to Texas and becoming licensed, I transitioned into private practice and eventually founded Dallas EMDR Therapy. Over time, I found myself especially drawn to working with trauma, anxiety, and relationship patterns—helping people understand how their past shows up in their present, and how to begin shifting those patterns in a meaningful way.
Where I am now feels like a natural evolution of that journey—building a practice that reflects not only my clinical training, but also my belief that therapy should feel both deeply supportive and genuinely transformative.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a completely smooth road. Like many people starting out in this field, there was a period of figuring things out—navigating early roles, building confidence as a clinician, and learning how to sit with the weight of the work while still taking care of myself.
Starting my own practice brought a different set of challenges. Building something from the ground up requires wearing a lot of hats—clinician, business owner, marketer—and there’s a learning curve that comes with that. There were moments of uncertainty, especially in the beginning, around how to grow something sustainable while staying aligned with the kind of care I wanted to provide.
At the same time, those challenges have been some of the most meaningful parts of the process. They’ve pushed me to be more intentional, to trust my clinical voice, and to create a practice that feels both grounded and authentic to me.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Dallas EMDR Therapy is a private practice focused on helping individuals better understand themselves and create meaningful, lasting change. While I work with a range of concerns, I specialize in trauma, anxiety, and relationship patterns—especially the kinds of patterns that people feel stuck in but can’t fully explain.
A big part of what sets my work apart is the integration of EMDR with a more relational, insight-oriented approach. It’s not just about processing past experiences or learning coping skills in isolation—it’s about connecting the dots between your past and present so things actually begin to shift. I place a strong emphasis on the therapeutic relationship, because feeling safe, understood, and genuinely supported is often what allows deeper work to happen.
Brand-wise, I’ve been really intentional about creating a space that feels both grounded and approachable. Therapy can feel intimidating or unclear for a lot of people, so I want everything—from the first interaction to the ongoing work—to feel welcoming, human, and not overly clinical.
What I’m most proud of is that the work here goes beyond surface-level change. Clients often come in feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or disconnected, and over time begin to feel more clear, more steady, and more like themselves again. That shift—where things don’t just feel manageable, but actually different—is really at the core of what I aim to offer.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Two people come to mind immediately.
My best friend, Daniel, has had a profound impact on the direction of my life. He will always be my biggest inspiration for this work.
My mom. She has also been a constant source of support. She’s always believed in me and instilled a strong work ethic that’s guided me through every stage of building this practice.
They are my motivation.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.DallasEMDRTherapy.com
- Instagram: dallasemdrtherapy
