Lawrence Goncalves Jr. , LICSW

Lawrence Goncalves Jr. is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) with a 25-year career devoted to helping individuals, families, and communities navigate complex life challenges. He began his work the summer after earning a B.A. in Juvenile Counseling from the University of Washington and spent his first decade as a youth and family counselor in a community mental health clinic, gaining hands-on experience with young people and their caregivers.

Over the years Lawrence has provided services across a range of settings, including work with juvenile offenders, domestic violence shelters, community centers, and youth group homes. He later completed a Master of Social Work at the University of Washington and advanced to clinical practice as an LICSW, a license that designates training and authority to provide independent clinical social work services.

Lawrence prioritizes a safe therapeutic relationship as the foundation for effective treatment and draws on multiple evidence-informed approaches to support clients. He is trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Multisystemic Therapy, and he combines strategies to help people manage symptoms, resolve problems, tolerate distress, and shift how they think about real-life difficulties. He approaches his work with a commitment to improving how people feel, think, and perform in their daily lives.

Therapeutic Approaches and Accessible Online Care

Lawrence integrates several focused approaches in his practice. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, involves identifying and changing unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors to reduce symptoms like anxiety and depression and to improve daily functioning. Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, emphasizes skills for managing intense emotions, improving interpersonal effectiveness, and increasing distress tolerance, which can be helpful for mood instability and conflict. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, known as EMDR, is a structured approach used to process traumatic memories and reduce their emotional impact.

Choosing the right method is a collaborative process. Lawrence works with each person to understand their needs, goals, and preferences, and he tailors treatment by combining techniques that best fit the individual’s situation.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility - sessions can take place by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging - making it easier to fit care into a busy life or to maintain continuity when in-person visits are difficult. For many people, these options increase access to consistent support while allowing therapists and clients to focus on meaningful progress.