Dr. Lori Malkasian , LMFT

Dr. Lori Malkasian is a licensed marriage and family therapist with twenty years of clinical experience. She holds a Doctor of Psychology and brings a practical, down-to-earth approach to common life problems. People come to her when stress, anxiety, parenting challenges, depression, or major life changes feel overwhelming.

She focuses on clear, usable strategies rather than abstract theory. Sessions tend to center on what is happening now and on simple steps clients can try between meetings. Lori uses conversation, reflection, and structured exercises to help people notice patterns and try new behaviors.

Her background includes work with addictions, trauma and abuse, grief, and relationship and family concerns. She also supports people dealing with ADHD, bipolar mood concerns, and the strain of caregiving or compassion fatigue. Adoption and foster care, blended family issues, and challenges around autism are among the additional areas she addresses.

Her clinical toolbox draws on client-centered methods, cognitive behavioral techniques, emotionally-focused work, mindfulness practices, and narrative approaches. That mix helps tailor sessions to the specific problem and personality of each person.

Lori practices in South Carolina and offers services in English. She works with people facing a wide range of life stressors and aims to make therapy feel approachable and useful from the first session.

How her approaches translate to online work

Client-centered therapy puts the person and their goals at the center of each session. The therapist listens closely, reflects what she hears, and helps clients decide what matters most to them. This approach is useful for building trust and clarifying priorities in a few online visits.

Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, focuses on practical skills to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. Online CBT sessions often include brief exercises, worksheets, and homework people can use between meetings to reduce anxiety or lift mood.

Emotionally-focused work helps people identify and shift emotional patterns in relationships and personal reactions. It can be helpful for managing anger, improving communication, and coping with grief or loss in ways that feel immediate and relevant.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will discuss goals, try methods, and adjust based on what works best for each person. Clients and the therapist decide together which techniques fit needs and preferences.

Online therapy offers flexible options like video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. Video is good for deeper conversation and reading facial cues. Phone can be easier if bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and messaging work well for quick updates, brief coaching, or when writing out thoughts feels easier than speaking.