Lawrence "Larry" Westenberg, LCSW

Licensed in Illinois · 42 years in practice

Lawrence "Larry" Westenberg is a licensed clinical social worker with over 42 years of experience in counseling.

License and registration

LCSW, Illinois: 149008012 · expires November 2027
NPI: 1649696832 · national provider identifier
Years in practice: 42
Languages: English

Details are as listed on the therapist's public professional profile. You can check any license with the state board and any NPI with the national registry.

About Lawrence

Lawrence "Larry" Westenberg is a licensed clinical social worker with over 42 years of experience in counseling. He practices from a strengths and solutions perspective and focuses on helping people put their resources to use. Larry prefers straightforward, practical work rather than long diagnostic labeling.

Larry began his career working on a back ward of a state mental hospital. That early work shaped how he sees people - as resourceful and capable of change.

Background and approach

Over decades he has worked in inpatient, outpatient, partial hospitalization, and crisis settings. In sessions he uses clear, down-to-earth language. He helps clients identify skills they already have and apply them to problems now.

He works with issues such as trauma, anxiety and panic, attention difficulties, addictions, relationship challenges, depression, grief, and life direction. His approaches include client-centered work, cognitive behavioral ideas, existential questions about meaning, hypnotherapy, and mindfulness practices. He is a published author on belief change, Ericksonian hypnosis, and related topics, and integrates practical techniques that clients can use between sessions.

Larry also supports people who identify as LGBT and those exploring alternative sexual cultures. He helps people manage caregiver stress, communication problems, career concerns, and struggles with shame, guilt, or emptiness. Conversations are collaborative and aimed at finding workable steps forward.

He practices in Illinois and conducts sessions in English. Larry frames therapy as a collaborative process focused on real-life change rather than paperwork or diagnostic checklists.

Focus areas and approaches

Everything Lawrence lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.

Stress, Anxiety
Trauma and abuse
Self esteem
Depression
Coping with life changes
Addictions
LGBT
Relationship issues
Grief
Intimacy-related issues
Anger management
Career difficulties
Bipolar disorder
Coaching
ADHD
Autism and Asperger Syndrome
BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
Caregiver issues and stress
Communication problems
Control issues
Divorce and separation
Emptiness
Family of origin issues
First responder issues
Forgiveness
Guilt and shame
Hospice and end-of-life counseling
Isolation / loneliness
Jealousy
Life purpose
Men's issues
Midlife crisis
Multicultural concerns
Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
Panic disorder and panic attacks
Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
Post-traumatic stress
Prejudice and discrimination
Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
Self-harm
Self-love
Sex addiction
Sexual assault and abuse
Sexuality
Smoking / vaping cessation
Social anxiety and phobia

Approaches Lawrence names

Naming an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist lists and does not check training records.

Online support

How therapeutic approaches translate to online care

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and responding to each person's needs without imposing solutions. Online sessions using this approach prioritize the client's goals and ideas so the conversation centers on what matters most to them.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at patterns of thought and behavior and tests small changes to see what helps. In video or phone sessions this can include setting short experiments, practicing new skills, and reviewing progress between meetings.

Mindfulness Therapy teaches simple attention and breathing practices to reduce reactivity and improve focus. These exercises can be guided live in a session and then repeated by the person during the week to build steadiness.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, try techniques, and adjust methods based on what actually helps. That shared planning helps match methods to the person's needs and preferences.

Online work offers practical flexibility. Video calls are useful for face-to-face conversation and exercises that benefit from visual cues. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or a client prefers not to be on camera. Live chat and text-based messaging support brief check-ins, coaching-style guidance, or step-by-step homework between longer sessions. These options make it simpler to fit counseling into a busy day and to keep momentum between appointments.

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Questions people ask

What concerns does this therapist address?

Larry helps people with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, depression, relationship and intimacy issues, addiction, grief, ADHD, bipolar concerns, and career or life purpose questions.

What is the therapist's general style in sessions?

He uses a strengths and solutions approach with plain language and practical steps. Sessions tend to focus on identifying abilities and applying them to current problems.

How long has he been practicing?

He brings 42 years of counseling experience across inpatient, outpatient, partial hospitalization, and crisis intervention settings.

What are his credentials and location?

He holds an LCSW, listed as IL LCSW, and practices in Illinois.

Which languages are available for sessions?

Sessions are offered in English.

Can international clients work with him?

He does not accept international clients at this time.

What session formats are offered?

Sessions are available as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules and preferences.

How does billing and getting started work?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability and uses a subscription that can be canceled at any time. To begin, select the Start Therapy button, complete a brief matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.

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