Lawrence Matheny, LPC, LMFT

Lawrence Matheny is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) based in Virginia. He brings 34 years of clinical experience supporting people through stress, anxiety, addiction, grief, depression, trauma and abuse, and relationship concerns. He speaks English and draws on a long career in psychiatric hospitals, community mental health, and substance use settings.

He frames therapy around the belief that clients are the experts in their own lives. Sessions focus on practical steps and on building strengths you already have. When faith has been important to someone, he is comfortable including those beliefs in sessions as a resource toward recovery.

His background includes pastoral ministry and two master’s degrees, one in Counseling and one in Pastoral Ministry, alongside extensive work with adults facing serious and persistent mental illnesses. He has also worked with people navigating parenting challenges, family of origin issues, and caregiving stress.

In the room he uses client-centered listening alongside structured approaches like cognitive behavioral methods and solution-focused strategies. He also applies trauma-focused work for people impacted by traumatic events or post-traumatic stress. The goal is to translate discussion into doable steps that reduce symptoms and improve daily functioning.

People who choose him can expect a collaborative process aimed at clear goals. He helps identify what is most important, sets short-term targets, and adjusts the plan as progress is made. To start, readers should confirm current session options before booking.

How these approaches inform online therapy

Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes listening and following a client's lead to build trust. It helps when someone needs space to talk through feelings and identify what matters most to them. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors. It is useful for anxiety, depression, and mood-related patterns. Trauma-Focused Therapy works by addressing the impact of traumatic events and teaching skills to manage reactions and reduce avoidance.

Choosing the right approach is often collaborative. The therapist will talk with each person about their goals, symptoms, and preferences. Together they will try methods that match those goals and change the plan if something is not helping. This makes it easier to focus on small, measurable steps toward improvement.

Confirm current session options before booking so you know which formats are offered. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life by saving travel time and allowing sessions during breaks or from different locations. It can also let someone choose shorter check-ins or sessions that do not require video when that suits their schedule or bandwidth. Licensed professionals can adapt the chosen approaches to the online setting to keep sessions practical and goal-oriented.