Dr. Lauren Greenspoon joined us in August 2026 as our new Post-Doctoral Fellow for Student-Athlete Mental Health. In her role, she provides mental health and performance optimization services to UCLA’s student-athletes, including individual counseling, team programming, liaison support, consultations to staff, and psychological assessment.
Lauren earned her bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Tennessee – Chattanooga, where she also competed as a member of the D1 volleyball team. Following, she earned a master’s degree in Kinesiology with an Emphasis in Sport Psychology from the University of North Texas (UNT). Lauren completed her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) and successfully completed her APA-approved pre-doctoral internship at Auburn University - Sport Psychology track. She is also currently pursuing Certified Mental Performance Consultant® (CMPC®) certification.
Lauren takes an integrated and relational approach to student-athlete mental health and works with student-athletes on the full spectrum of well-being from sport performance enhancement to clinical mental health concerns. Lauren integrates evidence-based approaches, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Interpersonal Process Therapy within her collaborative approach. Lauren’s clinical interests include trauma, managing pressure and performance anxiety, athletic identity, eating concerns and body image, interpersonal dynamics, and substance misuse. Lauren has trained in a college mental health clinic, men’s substance use residential treatment, women’s residential treatment, evaluation center for professionals, and both inpatient and outpatient settings at the Veterans Healthcare System. Most recently, she provided individual therapy, group therapy, and co-facilitated team consultations with Auburn University’s student-athletes.
A native of Houston, Texas, Lauren enjoys watching/engaging in sports, spending time with family and friends, savoring a yummy dessert or good cup of coffee, and watching/reading psychological thrillers.