Dr. Sugandika Subawickrama
Practical, compassionate therapy grounded in experience
LCPC, LPC New Jersey
- Experience
- 20 years in practice
- Focus areas
- Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Trauma and abuse
- Approaches
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Client-Centered Therapy
- Languages
- English, Sinhala
About Sugandika
Dr. Sugandika Subawickrama brings two decades of clinical experience to her practice in New Jersey, holding LCPC and LPC credentials.
Background and approach
She has worked in both national and international settings and has supported people facing a wide range of concerns including depression, anxiety, addictions, trauma, grief, relationship and intimacy-related issues, and difficulties with self-esteem and motivation.
Her background also includes work with career challenges, compassion fatigue, ADHD, and numerous other focus areas such as attachment, caregiver stress, and substance-related problems. Her style blends practical, evidence-informed methods with empathic listening.
She draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy alongside client-centered and mindfulness-based approaches to help clients explore unhelpful thinking patterns, develop coping skills, and increase awareness of present-moment experience. Motivational interviewing and narrative techniques also inform her work when clients are seeking change or wanting to reframe their life stories.
Sessions are offered in English and Sinhala to accommodate bilingual clients. Dr.
Subawickrama frames the therapeutic process as collaborative, helping each person set goals and select methods that fit their concerns and preferences. She recognizes that starting therapy is a meaningful step and aims to create an open, nonjudgmental space for exploring change.
Approaches and online options that fit your life
Dr. Subawickrama commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and client-centered and mindfulness-informed practices in her work. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors to reduce distress and build practical coping skills, which can be helpful for anxiety, depression, and stress-related concerns. Client-centered therapy emphasizes empathy and collaborative exploration so clients feel heard while they clarify goals and values. Mindfulness therapy cultivates present-moment awareness and acceptance to reduce reactivity and improve emotional regulation, which can support coping with trauma, grief, or ongoing stress.Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. She will work with clients to determine which methods best match their goals, preferences, and life circumstances, adapting techniques over time as needs evolve to create a treatment plan that feels suitable and realistic.
Online therapy through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging offers scheduling flexibility and practical access to care from home or other convenient locations. These formats allow continuation of therapy across changes in daily life and can make regular work on goals more manageable for people with busy schedules or mobility constraints.
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Areas of expertise
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
20+ years
Licensed
New Jersey, New York, Arizona, Oregon, Nevada, Virginia
Languages
English, Sinhala