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Matthew Lawler

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist #LMFT144091
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Matthew Lawler, MA, LMFT, LPCC

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist #LMFT144091
(424) 361-6196

As your therapist, I am committed to providing a safe, compassionate, and nonjudgmental space where you can explore life’s challenges and find healing. I take a faith-based, person-centered approach to therapy, meeting you where you are and walking alongside you with empathy and understanding. I seek to foster an emotionally safe environment where you can be deeply heard, understood, and cared for. Whether you’re facing emotional struggles, spiritual questions, or life transitions, I am here to help you navigate these complexities with authentic support rooted in Christian values. Together, we will work toward healing, growth, and a deeper connection to both yourself and your faith.

Irvine - Mon, Wed & FriCarlsbad - Tue & ThuOnline Counseling - Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu & Fri

About

I offer professional Christian counseling for teens, couples, adult individuals, and families. During our time together, you can expect to experience counseling that incorporates biblical principles and Christian values in a way that helps to address your emotional and psychological struggles through the lens of faith, promoting healing and growth that is spiritually aligned. As a Christian therapist, I seek to integrate spiritual practices with therapeutic interventions to help individuals feel more grounded and connected to God during challenging situations.

My Goal as a Christian Counselor

One of my goals for our work together is to help you find a path to healing from emotional and spiritual scars. Through our sessions, my hope is for you to find inspiration and practical tools to support you as you learn to adaptively cope with the mental health struggles that can beset us in a fallen world. I also strive to help couples and families reconcile differences and hurts. We will work together to recognize how you may begin to move toward healthier and more loving ways of interacting with one another.

What I Offer in Christian Counseling

I offer a safe, nonjudgmental space where you can find support. With empathy and compassion, I will come alongside you as a fellow human seeking to assist in navigating life’s complexities, pains, and questions. Many past clients have told me I am easy to open up to and that they feel that I care for them authentically. As a Christian counselor, I desire to deeply understand and empathize with my clients as I care for them with the gifts and training God has given me.

My Approach to Christian Counseling

Psychotherapy is a unique and personal relationship in which a client gives a clinician a look inside one’s mind and spirit. The counselor may also impart certain viewpoints and wisdom. With that in mind, I believe it is important for Christian believers to seek counseling from someone who shares their faith, values, and worldview as much as possible. My faith informs my practice because it informs every aspect of my values, worldview, the way I see people, and how I view the process of emotional and spiritual healing.

Biography

Qualifications & Experience

I hold a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology from Vanguard University and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Concordia University in Irvine.

My Call to Christian Counseling

During my undergraduate years, I had a series of experiences that led to my interest in counseling. I had begun seeing an on-campus therapist for my own struggles with depression and anxiety. This was my first exposure to therapy, and it was a healing experience. In addition, I took Principles of Counseling and Intro to Psychology under Dr. Buddy Mendez as electives. His passion for therapeutic counseling and psychology and his integration of the Christian faith inspired me and made me realize it was a field I was interested in. As a Resident Advisor in my final year, I also got to utilize basic informal counseling skills with fellow students, which was very rewarding.

More About Me/On a Personal Note

My personal interests and hobbies include reading all kinds of nonfiction from History to Psychology and Christian faith-related books, as well as fiction of all genres (my favorite fiction is Lord of the Rings.) I also enjoy swimming in the ocean, hiking, photography, tinkering with cars, and some occasional video games with friends.

Services and Specialities

Areas of Expertise/Specialties

  • Abandonment and Neglect
  • ADHD
  • Anger Management
  • Anxiety
  • Bipolar Disorder
  • Chemical Dependency
  • Counseling for Teens
  • Couples Counseling
  • Codependency
  • Depression
  • Family Counseling
  • Grief and Loss
  • Individual Counseling
  • Infidelity and Affairs
  • Marriage Counseling
  • Men’s Issues
  • OCD
  • Online Counseling
  • Personal Development
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
  • Premarital Counseling
  • Professional Development
  • Relationship Issues
  • Sex and Porn Addiction
  • Sexual Abuse
  • Spiritual Development
  • Trauma

Depression

Depression can take many forms, from sadness or anger to numbness and apathy. It can also have a variety of sources. As your counselor, we will explore your life circumstances as well as any emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of your depression. Together, we will work through the pain, uncover the root causes of your feelings, and take practical steps toward restoring balance in your life.

Anxiety

Anxiety is perhaps the greatest blight of our generation at this moment. I specialize in helping individuals navigate the overwhelming grip of anxiety and panic. In our sessions, we will work together to identify the root causes of your anxiety, explore your triggers, and develop practical tools to manage stress and worry.

Through a combination of evidence-based therapeutic techniques and a Christ-focused perspective, I offer support that helps you regain a sense of calm and control in your life. Whether you’re struggling with everyday stressors or experiencing more persistent anxiety rooted in trauma, I am committed to supporting you in finding relief, peace, and greater emotional well-being.

Spiritual Development

My belief in Christ is at the core of my view on life, people, and psychology. As we live in a fallen world, many issues can shake even those with the strongest faith. Mental illness, trauma, betrayal, loss, and other products of the imperfect nature of life can contribute to significant barriers in one’s connection with God and with oneself. Others may find that they are simply having difficulty knowing where to go next to continue growing in their faith or discovering their purpose.

As your counselor, I am here to walk alongside you. Together, we’ll explore how your spiritual life intersects with your emotional and mental well-being, helping you strengthen your relationship with God and find peace in His guidance. Whether you are facing spiritual challenges, doubts, or simply seeking a deeper understanding of your purpose, I offer a compassionate and nonjudgmental space where you can explore your faith, grow spiritually, and experience healing in a holistic way.

Relationship Issues

Relationships are one of the greatest sources of earthly connection humans can enjoy, but they are also messy and often the source of the highest level of strife. With a collaborative approach, I seek to help individuals and couples navigate their relationship issues stemming from communication difficulties, conflict resolution, attachment and trust issues, and more. You deserve to experience the fulfillment, love, intimacy, and strength that God has envisioned for your relationship as we work together to overcome barriers and implement the tools and guidance necessary for your relational health and growth.

Chemical Dependency

Having worked for several years providing therapy to those in drug and alcohol rehabilitation settings, I am intimately acquainted with the nature of addiction and its destructive effects on people. Christian believers are not exempt from experiencing this besetting struggle, and I am passionate about helping people experience freedom from this form of bondage.

During our time together, we will look at and address your struggle from its contributory factors, such as trauma, depression, anxiety, and spiritual issues, as well as ongoing environmental factors such as family dysfunction, lack of a support system, and unmanageable life stressors. Recovery is possible if one wants it, and I believe God provides all necessary resources to those who seek it.

Payment and Forms

Sessions: I offer 53-minute sessions. Sessions can be held more than once per week, weekly, or every other week. Scheduling options are discussed in greater detail during your Risk-Free Initial Session.

Availability (by office location):

  • Irvine – Monday, Wednesday and Friday
  • Carlsbad – Tuesday and Thursday
  • Online Counseling – Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday

Fees: I offer a Risk-Free Initial Session for individuals, couples, and families looking to pursue counseling with me. Please note that there is a fee for the Risk-Free Initial Session as it is a clinical hour and reimbursable to most insurance companies, but if you choose not to reschedule and continue therapy after the initial session, the entire fee for the session will be waived. For ongoing treatment, the full fee per session is required at the time of service.

Insurance: As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), most insurance companies will reimburse for a portion of my services (as an Out of Network Provider). Please consult with your insurance provider as to whether they specifically cover adolescents, individuals, and couples.

Receipts/Statements: In the event you require a printed or digital receipt, I will provide receipts for personal use, insurance reimbursement, Flex Spending Accounts (FSA), and Health Savings Accounts (HSA).

Payment options: Cash, Check, or Credit Card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, & American Express). A fee of up to 4% per transaction may be added for credit card payments.

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