Mark Licitra, LCSW, LICSW

Mark Licitra is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 16 years of counseling experience. He offers calm, conversational support for people dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, addictions, anger, relationship concerns, self-esteem struggles, career questions, and bipolar mood issues.

His style is collaborative and down-to-earth. Sessions are practical and solution-minded. He aims to build on each person's existing strengths and tailor the work to their situation.

Mark uses a mix of approaches rather than a single method. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a core part of his work, alongside Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, client-centered methods, motivational interviewing, mindfulness, and behavioral activation. He explains tools plainly and helps people try them between sessions.

He has practiced in varied settings since earning a Bachelor of Social Work in 2004 and a Master of Social Work in 2009. His credentials include LCSW and LICSW in Hawaii and Washington as noted on his profile.

Outside of therapy, he’s a parent, musician, baker, gardener, and cyclist. Those personal interests shape a relaxed, human approach in sessions. He is comfortable talking about spiritual or faith-related concerns when that matters to the person seeking help.

How cognitive and acceptance approaches translate online

CBT helps people notice and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. Online sessions can focus on identifying patterns, practicing new responses, and setting small experiments to try between meetings. ACT, or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, teaches skills to accept difficult feelings while clarifying personal values and taking meaningful action, which can be practiced during and between online sessions.

Those two approaches work well together and with a client-centered attitude. The therapist will collaborate with the person to decide which methods match their needs and goals. That choice is part of the work and may shift as progress is made.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is useful for deeper conversation and exercises that benefit from seeing facial cues. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or when you prefer not to be on camera. Live chat and text messaging can provide brief check-ins, homework support, or ongoing encouragement between longer sessions. These options make scheduling more flexible and can help therapy fit into busy daily life.