Nurturing Growth, Embracing Authenticity
Wildwell Psychiatry is an integrative psychiatry practice offering personalized, relationship-centered care for teens, young adults, and parents navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, and major life transitions.
Lauren Manning, MD is a double board-certified adult, child & adolescent psychiatrist who helps young people who feel stuck or misunderstood — and parents who feel like they’re failing — to rediscover their confidence and move forward with clarity through personalized therapy, collaborative medication management, and holistic support.
Accepting patients in Maine beginning August 2025
Welcome! I’m Dr. Lauren Manning
I’m a holistic psychiatrist who believes that you are more than a diagnosis—and that healing begins with feeling deeply seen, understood, and empowered.
I became a psychiatrist because I wanted to do more than treat symptoms. I want to help people make sense of their experiences and reconnect with their inner strength. Over time, both personal and professional experiences led me toward a more relational, trauma-informed, and integrative way of practicing. Today, I work collaboratively with patients and families to create personal, sustainable paths toward growth and well-being. My practice is grounded in:
A relationship-first approach:
I believe the therapeutic connection is a powerful part of healing; so much of our suffering comes from feeling alone. Being seen and supported can itself be transformative.
Trauma-informed care:
I recognize how early experiences shape us. When those experiences are frightening, unpredictable, or leave our needs unmet, they can lead us to navigate the present through the lens of our past. Changing these patterns opens new possibilities.
Whole-person support:
I believe we all have an innate capacity for wellness. I integrate tools like mindfulness, lifestyle changes, and integrative treatments to tap into this inner capability.
Thoughtful use of medication:
I aim for streamlined, collaborative, and individualized treatment plans. When appropriate, I can help with minimizing medications.
Developmental and family systems awareness:
I believe that parents act from love, but may also respond from fear. Healing begins when we bring curiosity to these patterns. Children and teens thrive when they feel both lovable and capable — and when the adults around them feel the same.
Whether I’m working with a teen, a young adult in transition, or a parent feeling overwhelmed, I bring presence, curiosity, and compassion. Together, we create space for reflection, growth, and lasting change. In person care available at my office on Mount Desert Island and telehealth care available for patients throughout Maine.
My Areas of Focus
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Do you…
Feel stuck, overwhelmed, or like nothing has worked?
Have a list of diagnoses that feels more confusing than clarifying?
Find you are comparing yourself to your peers and wondering why life feels so hard?
You’re smart and insightful but still battling constant self-doubt and fears like “I’m too much” or “I’m not enough.” You might worry you’re broken or somehow missing the tools that everyone else seems to have. You’re not!
I work with young people who feel like they’re running out of options. Together, we slow things down. We make space for your story: what you’ve lived through, how it shaped you, and where you want to go next. I use:
A personalized approach to therapy to explore the patterns at the root, not just symptoms
A trauma-informed lens to help make sense of what might still be unspoken
Collaborative, streamlined medication management to reduce overwhelm and side effects
Integrative supports like mindfulness, lifestyle coaching, and integrative treatments
With time and support, it’s possible to feel grounded in yourself again and to start building a life that feels like yours.
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Do you…
Worry you’re failing as a parent—even though you’re trying your hardest?
Try being gentler… firmer… more structured… more flexible but find that nothing seems to work for long?
Second guess every decision?
You’ve read the books. You’ve listened to the podcasts. You’re exhausted from giving so much of yourself, and secretly wondering, am I messing this up?
Sometimes parenting brings up your own childhood wounds. Sometimes it’s the daily grind that wears you down. Either way, the joy is slipping away and all you want is to feel confident, connected, and like you’re doing right by your child.
I help parents reconnect with themselves and their children. My approach includes:
Family therapy to help shift stuck dynamics and rebuild connection
Parent coaching informed by attachment science and the SPACE method
Compassionate exploration of your own parenting story and what you want to do differently
Emotional support for the parts of you that feel ashamed, lost, or afraid to ask for help
You don’t have to do this alone. There is a way back to the kind of family life you’re hoping for.
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Do you…
Struggle to move forward after a major change — even if it was something you chose?
Find yourself grieving something you can’t quite name?
Feel disconnected from the people around you, like they don’t really get what you’re going through?
Big life changes can stir up old wounds, shake your sense of self, and leave you wondering where to go from here. Even exciting transitions like starting college or leaving home can bring unexpected grief, anxiety, and confusion. You don’t have to figure it all out alone.
I help people navigate major life transitions with clarity and self-compassion. I offer:
• Emotionally attuned therapy to help you process change, grief, and identity shifts
• Practical support for managing overwhelm or indecision
• Trauma-informed work to explore deeper patterns that get stirred up during transitions
• Collaborative medication management when symptoms are interfering with daily life
With time and care, it’s possible to feel like yourself again.
My Approach
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Therapy & Support
• Individual therapy
• Family therapy
• Parent coaching
• SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions)
• Trauma-informed care
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Medication & Mind-Body Care
• Collaborative medication management
• Lab testing & supplement guidance
• Mindfulness and lifestyle coaching
• Therapeutic deprescribing
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Coming Soon
• Community workshops
• Parenting workshops
• Group therapy for teens and young adults
“When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things”
Schedule a Free Consultation
I invite you to schedule a complimentary 15-minute consultation call, where we can discuss your treatment goals and determine if I’m a good fit for your needs. Before booking, please review my services page to familiarize yourself with the appointment types and fees.
