About Mark
Mark Laster is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW-R) based in New York. He combines direct, solution-oriented work with a client-centered stance to help people manage stress, mood problems, and life transitions. He focuses on practical steps that can make daily life easier.
Sessions often include setting short-term goals and trying small changes that can reduce anxiety and lift mood. He also addresses grief, bipolar and depressive symptoms, anger, and the strain that comes with major life shifts.
How Mark works
Mark draws on cognitive behavioral techniques to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and test new ways of thinking. He pairs that with client-centered conversation so people feel heard while they try concrete strategies. Solution-focused work guides short-term planning and problem solving when immediate relief is needed.
Over 12 years of practice have given him experience with a wide range of concerns, including caregiver stress, aging and geriatric issues, traumatic brain injury, and multicultural matters. He also supports people coping with disasters and those who are hearing impaired. Sessions are offered in English and are available through video, phone, live chat, or text messaging.
Mark aims to make therapy fit into everyday life by focusing on usable tools and steady progress.
Mark lists 3 ways of working on the entry:
What Mark works with
The areas below are the ones Mark selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
Also listed
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Coping with life changes
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Depression
- Family conflicts
- Hearing impaired
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
- Traumatic brain injury
Training and background
| Register | LCSW-R |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 12 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | New York |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
How Mark's Approaches Work Online
Client-centered therapy emphasizes being listened to and understood. In online sessions this means the conversation centers on the person's concerns and priorities while the therapist follows their lead to decide what matters most to work on.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing new ways of thinking and behaving. It is useful for anxiety, depression, mood disorders, and stress by breaking problems into smaller, changeable steps.
Solution-focused therapy targets short-term goals and practical solutions. When someone needs quick relief or a clear plan, this approach helps set reachable steps and measures progress in a few sessions.
Deciding on an approach is a shared process. The therapist will discuss options, try techniques, and adjust plans based on the client's needs, goals, and preferences. That collaborative style helps ensure methods feel like a good fit rather than a rigid prescription.
Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation; phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited; live chat and text messaging work for quick check-ins or when written reflection helps. These formats make it easier to schedule sessions, fit therapy into a workday, and keep momentum between meetings.
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Common questions
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A practical next step
Write down two things you would want to be different in six months. That is the most useful thing to bring to a first session, whoever it is with. If you would rather start now than keep reading, online sessions are the quickest route.
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