Loraine (Lori) Sawyer , LPCC, LMHC

Loraine (Lori) Sawyer is a licensed therapist based in Hawaii with 15 years of clinical experience supporting people through depression, anxiety, trauma, relationship struggles, parenting challenges, and substance concerns. She brings focused experience working with parents of children with special needs and young adults who have experienced trauma, helping them build practical skills for greater well-being.

She practices from a strengths-oriented perspective, integrating cognitive behavioral techniques with trauma-informed care. Lori emphasizes empathy, kindness, and compassion while helping clients identify patterns of thought and behavior that can be shifted toward healthier coping. Her approach also draws on positive psychology to leverage existing strengths as a foundation for change.

Lori holds professional credentials as an LPCC and an LMHC - LPCC stands for Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and LMHC stands for Licensed Mental Health Counselor. Her licenses include California LPCC 17146 and Hawaii LMHC 470. These credentials reflect formal training and supervised clinical experience in counseling and mental health care.

Lori aims to empower people to make meaningful changes and to build skills that support day-to-day functioning. She works collaboratively with clients to set goals and develop practical strategies tailored to each person’s needs and life situation.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Lori uses evidence-informed methods to help clients address specific challenges and build practical skills. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors; it is often used to treat anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and stress by teaching concrete coping strategies. Trauma-Focused Therapy concentrates on understanding and processing traumatic experiences in a paced, supportive way to reduce lingering symptoms and improve daily functioning. Solution-Focused Therapy emphasizes brief, goal-oriented work that helps clients recognize strengths and small steps that lead to meaningful change.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Lori collaborates with each client to assess needs, preferences, and goals, and she tailors methods accordingly so therapy feels relevant and manageable. This collaborative planning helps determine whether CBT, trauma-focused work, solution-focused strategies, or a combination will best support the client’s objectives.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to connect with licensed professionals and therapists through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules, accommodate different communication styles, and maintain continuity of care when in-person visits are not possible.