About Loraine
Loraine (Lori) Sawyer helps people who are feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, depression, relationship struggles, or the fallout from trauma. She presents a calm, down-to-earth approach so parents and individuals can talk through immediate concerns and find practical steps forward. Lori holds LPCC and LMHC credentials and brings 15 years of experience to her work in Hawaii.
Lori uses straightforward, evidence-informed methods that focus on skills you can use between sessions.
Background and approach
She often starts with small goals and builds routines that reduce anxiety and improve sleep. Sessions tend to focus on what is working now and how to change unhelpful patterns that get in the way of daily life. Her background includes helping people with parenting challenges and young adults who have experienced trauma.
She also supports those struggling with addictions, bipolar mood issues, obsessive thoughts, and the exhaustion that comes from compassion fatigue. She pays attention to how experiences like adoption, attachment difficulties, and discrimination affect mood and relationships. Lori works with people who identify as LGBT and those facing social anxiety, panic attacks, or problems with communication.
She blends Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Motivational Interviewing and Solution-Focused techniques to tailor practical steps to each person’s situation. The first sessions typically include a clear review of immediate needs and a plan for short-term goals. Lori encourages gentle pacing and uses strengths-based tools so people can notice progress quickly and keep building on it.
How Lori's Approaches Work Online
Lori commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing small behavior changes to reduce anxiety and improve mood. She also uses Motivational Interviewing to help people find and strengthen their own reasons for change, which can be useful for addiction, habit shifts, or building healthier routines.Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Lori will talk with each person about their goals, preferences, and what has or hasn't worked before. Together they decide whether to emphasize skill-building, motivation, or short-term problem solving and then adjust as progress is made.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is useful when visual cues and a longer session are helpful. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or when a session needs to fit into a short break. Live chat or messaging work well for quick check-ins, homework support, or when someone prefers writing their thoughts instead of speaking. These options make it easier to keep therapy consistent around work, parenting, or travel while still working toward concrete goals.
Questions people ask
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What this counselor works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
Also listed
- Addictions
- ADHD
- Adoption and foster care
- Anger management
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Bipolar disorder
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Family conflicts
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Isolation / loneliness
- LGBT
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Parenting issues
- Post-traumatic stress
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Self esteem
- Sleeping disorders
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 15 years
- Licensed
- Hawaii, California
- Languages
- English