Lawrence Matheny
Calm, experienced counseling for families
- Credentials
- LPC, LMFT
- Experience
- 34 years
- Licensed in
- Virginia
- Languages
- English
- Format
- Online sessions
About Lawrence
Lawrence Matheny uses a client-centered approach to help families and individuals facing stress, relationship strain, addiction, grief, and mood challenges. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) practicing in Virginia. Lawrence speaks plainly, listens carefully, and focuses on practical steps families can take to manage problems and restore connection.
He draws on more than three decades of clinical work, including lengthy experience in psychiatric hospitals and community mental health and substance abuse settings.
Background and approach
That background gives him familiarity with depression, bipolar disorders, anxiety, trauma and abuse, and substance-related concerns. He blends that experience with faith-informed understanding when clients want to include spiritual resources. Lawrence also trained and served in pastoral ministry for many years, including time as an ordained minister.
He holds a master’s degree in Counseling and a master’s degree in Pastoral Ministry. His combined clinical and pastoral experience informs a compassionate, steady style in sessions. In practice he uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Solution-Focused techniques alongside Trauma-Focused strategies when appropriate.
Sessions emphasize practical tools, clear goals, and building on existing strengths. He works with couples and families as well as individuals to address parenting challenges, relationship issues, and family-of-origin patterns. He offers a direct, respectful approach and helps clients set small, achievable steps.
Lawrence aims to guide parents and family members toward clearer communication and healthier routines. He encourages people to use their strengths to move toward the life they want.
Therapeutic approaches and how they work online
Lawrence commonly uses Client-Centered Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as foundations for online work. Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening closely and helping clients notice their own strengths and values so they can make changes that matter. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) involves identifying unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and practicing practical skills to change them; it is often used for anxiety, depression, and mood concerns.He also draws on Solution-Focused techniques when clients want brief, goal-oriented work that targets specific changes. That approach helps people set small, concrete steps and notice progress quickly. Choosing the right mix of approaches is a collaborative process - the therapist and client discuss needs, preferences, and goals and adjust methods as therapy progresses.
Online therapy offers flexibility for busy families and parents. Video calls let people talk face to face from home, phone sessions work when video is not possible, and live chat or text messaging can support quick check-ins or ongoing problem-solving between sessions. These options make it easier to fit counseling into a family schedule while keeping treatment practical and goal-focused.
Client-Centered Therapy
The direction comes from you rather than from a set programme. The therapist offers a warm, non-judgemental space to think out loud and work at your own pace. Online, this rests on the relationship rather than on being in the same room.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT looks at the link between what you think, how you feel, and what you do. You work on noticing unhelpful patterns and practising steadier responses. It suits online sessions well, because much of the work happens between appointments and can be talked through from anywhere.
Solution-Focused Therapy
Rather than examining the problem at length, this looks at what is already working and builds on it. Sessions tend to be practical and forward-looking, with small achievable steps, which translates readily to shorter online conversations.
Frequently asked questions
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Relationship issues
Also works with
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Bipolar disorder
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Codependency
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Depression
- Family conflicts
- Family of origin issues
- Grief
- Mood disorders
- Parenting issues
- Post-traumatic stress
- Self esteem
- Trauma and abuse
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 34 years
- Licensed
- Virginia
- Languages
- English
Next step
Talk to Lawrence
- Takes a few minutes
- Nothing to set up just to look
- Stop at any point