Lee Schlanger , LMHC

Lee Schlanger is a Florida state licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) based in Sarasota, FL, who originally practiced in New York City. He brings a background of clinical work that began in early 2017 and combines that experience with a genuine enthusiasm for the outdoors, animals, and sports. Lee focuses his practice on anxiety and depression, grief and loss, traumatic experiences, substance abuse recovery, and anger management, and he also has experience supporting couples and families through conflict and relationship difficulties.

Lee holds Board Certified Tele-Mental Health Provider credentials and frequently conducts telehealth sessions. His therapeutic approach is warm and inviting, beginning each session with the goal of building connection and addressing a client’s primary concerns. Working in a collaborative, supportive way, he guides clients through processing difficult emotions and exploring the underlying causes of their distress. Lee emphasizes emotional processing and human connection as central to healing, and he brings a non-judgmental stance while holding clients in high positive regard.

He does not promise cures, but he does promise a professional counseling relationship grounded in mutual trust, respect, collaboration, and validation. Sessions with Lee aim to help clients navigate life’s challenges with practical strategies and compassionate support.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Lee integrates Attachment-Based Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) into his online practice. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationships shape current patterns and helps people build more secure ways of relating, which can be helpful for abandonment issues, attachment concerns, and relationship challenges. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes a supportive, non-judgmental therapeutic relationship where the client’s experience leads the work, aiding emotional expression and self-exploration. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and adjusting unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, providing practical tools for anxiety, depression, and coping with life changes.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process, and Lee works collaboratively with clients to determine what fits their needs, goals, and preferences. He combines elements from these methods to tailor treatment, adjusting pace and focus as progress is made.

Offering therapy via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging makes it easier to fit sessions into busy lives and to access support from different locations. These options provide flexibility in scheduling and communication style, allowing licensed professionals and therapists to meet clients where they are and support consistent progress over time.