Dr. Sugandika Subawickrama
Compassionate practical therapy for everyday challenges
- Credentials
- LCPC, LPC
- Experience
- 20 years
- Licensed in
- New Jersey, New York, Arizona
- Languages
- English, Sinhala
- Format
- Online sessions
About Sugandika
Dr. Sugandika Subawickrama brings two decades of clinical work to her practice. She is a licensed clinical professional counselor and licensed professional counselor - LCPC, LPC - with experience across several U.S. states.
She speaks English and Sinhala and practices from New Jersey. Her style is warm and straightforward. She focuses on creating a space where clients can speak freely about stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction, and life transitions.
Sessions are practical and conversational.
Background and approach
Dr. Subawickrama aims to help people build clearer coping steps and better daily routines. In sessions she listens closely and asks questions to clarify what matters most.
She uses techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness to address unhelpful thoughts and reduce overwhelm. Motivational interviewing and narrative ideas can be brought in to help people find personal motivation and make sense of difficult experiences. Those working through relationship strain, parenting concerns, grief, career shifts, or issues with self-esteem may find the focus helpful.
She also addresses challenges like sleep and eating problems, substance use, attachment issues, and caregiver stress. Her approach is adapted to the person in front of her rather than a one-size-fits-all method. Beginning therapy is described as a courageous move.
Dr. Subawickrama supports gradual progress with clear steps, regular check-ins, and practical strategies to use between sessions.
Approaches used in online sessions and what they do
Client-centered therapy emphasizes listening and building a respectful relationship. The therapist follows the client’s lead, helps reflect what the client says, and supports personal choices. This approach is useful when people need a calm space to sort through feelings and decide next steps.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and actions. It helps identify unhelpful thinking patterns and replace them with practical steps to reduce anxiety or low mood. CBT is often used for stress, sleep problems, coping with change, and mood concerns.
Mindfulness therapy teaches simple attention and breathing practices that reduce reactivity and increase focus. Small mindfulness exercises can help with overwhelming emotions, sleep difficulty, and persistent worry.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with the client to choose methods that match their goals, needs, and preferences. Plans are adjusted over time based on progress and feedback.
Online therapy offers flexible ways to connect. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation, phone sessions work when video is not possible, and live chat or text-based messaging can suit quick check-ins or people who prefer typing. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life and to keep continuity when schedules change.
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.
Mindfulness Therapy
Attention training: noticing thoughts and physical feelings as they arrive without being carried off by them. Much of it is practice you do yourself, so guidance over video or audio works much as it would in person.
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
Also works with
- Abandonment
- ADHD
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Anger management
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Bipolar disorder
- Body image
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Coaching
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Eating disorders
- Emptiness
- Family conflicts
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Immigration issues
- Impulsivity
- Intellectual disability
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- LGBT
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Parenting issues
- Phobias
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Post-traumatic stress
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Relationship issues
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Sleeping disorders
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Somatization
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 20 years
- Licensed
- New Jersey, New York, Arizona, Oregon, Nevada, Virginia
- Languages
- English, Sinhala
Next step
Talk to Sugandika
- Takes a few minutes
- Nothing to set up just to look
- Stop at any point