Lawrence Benes

Lawrence Benes is a Florida licensed mental health counselor with 35 years of experience. He helps people who are struggling with addictions, depression, grief, relationship strain, and major life changes. He emphasizes a respectful, strengths-based approach and supports clients as they take steps toward a more fulfilling life.

He works from the belief that each person knows their story best. Sessions focus on practical steps and on building strengths people already have. Lawrence aims to make the process direct and encouraging rather than overwhelming.

Over a long career he has worked with people facing drug and alcohol addiction, workplace stress, mood disorders, and post-traumatic stress. He also addresses issues such as guilt and shame, communication problems, and concerns connected to HIV and AIDS. Isolation and loneliness are included among the concerns he helps people navigate.

Lawrence centers the conversation on goals the client sets. He listens for patterns, helps identify small changes, and supports planning next steps. The tone is straightforward and hopeful, aimed at helping people move past what keeps them stuck.

Clients can expect a collaborative process that balances problem-solving with emotional support. He encourages people to name what matters most and to practice new ways of coping between sessions.

How therapeutic approaches guide online work

Many therapists use evidence-based therapeutic techniques that focus on practical change and emotional understanding. One common approach emphasizes goal setting and skill building to address problems like addiction, depression, and workplace stress; it focuses on concrete steps clients can try between sessions. Another common approach works with past events and strong emotions to reduce their ongoing impact, which can be helpful for grief, trauma, and lingering mood concerns.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will work together with the client to identify priorities, test what helps, and adjust methods based on how the client responds. That collaborative stance makes it easier to tailor sessions to personal goals and daily life demands.

Confirm the specific session formats before booking, as the biography does not list them. Online therapy can make it simpler to fit sessions into busy schedules, shorten travel time, and allow check-ins from different locations. It can also make certain sessions easier to manage when a quieter space or less screen time is needed. Ask about scheduling, session length, and any format options during the matching and scheduling steps.