About Lawrence
Lawrence Matheny uses a client-centered approach to guide people through stress, anxiety, grief, addiction, and relationship concerns. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) practicing in Virginia. He speaks English and draws on decades of counseling experience to help people find practical steps forward.
He has 34 years of experience in psychiatric hospitals and community mental health and substance abuse settings. That background shaped his focus on mood disorders, trauma and post-traumatic stress, and long-term mental health needs.
Background and approach
He also has a pastoral ministry background and a master’s degree in Pastoral Ministry, which he integrates when faith is important to a person. In sessions he prefers straightforward, collaborative work. He uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice unhelpful thinking and try new behaviors.
He applies Solution-Focused techniques to set clear short-term goals and build on strengths. People can expect discussions about practical strategies for parenting stress, caregiver strain, aging and geriatric issues, and coping after loss or disaster. He also addresses addiction, bipolar disorder, and depression with a mix of supportive listening and goal-oriented tasks.
Lawrence frames clients as the experts on their lives and works alongside them to move toward change. He aims for real, achievable steps that fit daily life. The result is a down-to-earth approach that focuses on what helps now and what can keep helping later.
How therapy approaches fit online care
Lawrence often combines client-centered work with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in online sessions. Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening, understanding a person’s goals, and helping them use their own strengths to solve problems. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy involves noticing thoughts and behaviors that keep problems going and practicing new ways of thinking and acting to reduce symptoms.Choosing the right approach is a team effort. He will talk with each person about their needs, goals, and preferences and adjust methods as therapy progresses. That collaborative planning helps people try approaches that match their situation and change course when something isn’t working.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, which add real flexibility. Video allows face-to-face conversation and visual cues. Phone sessions can fit a tight schedule or require less bandwidth. Live chat and text messaging work well for short check-ins, step-by-step coaching, or when writing out thoughts feels easier. Together these options make it simpler to fit therapy into a busy life while using approaches that focus on concrete change.
Questions people ask
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What this counselor works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Relationship issues
Also listed
- 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