01 · Who Harold works with

Harold works with relationship issues, family conflicts and parenting issues

Harold lists 18 specialisms and 67 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Harold chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Harold's own words

What Harold says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

I am a Marriage and Family Therapist. I've had a lot of diverse life experience and never get tired of the complexity of people and their relationships with each other. A lot of my work has been with persons who have suffered sexual and physical trauma. I've worked with those who struggle with substance abuse. I've visited many cultures and immersed myself in some to gain better understanding of homelessness and some of the unique challenges persons of color face. Despite the differences between people, it's interesting how many unsung heroes there are, and how rarely they realize it.

I've worked with ADHD, OCD and autistic spectrum issues. I have a lot of empathy and compassion for people, especially those who feel somewhat powerless. I've always been interested in what motivates people's behavior.

I have a lot of empathy for those who are down-trodden. I've been fervently involved in seeking openness and respect in society. I've worked hard to protect children in abusive situations. I've worked to intervene on behalf of and to protect people of color and LGBTQ+ people who have been unfairly treated. I've worked with groups to reach out more effectively to underserved populations.

I worked on a secured Military Base with a civilian and military population as Family Advocacy Program Manager. I worked for 15 years with inmates of correctional facilities as a professional therapist volunteer. I worked for 10 years with men and women as a professional therapist with substance abuse issues. For the same amount of time I worked with domestic violence offenders and survivors. I worked for three years with survivors of sexual assault. I worked for five years with men with sexual assault offenses.

I have a Bachelor of Science from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Later in life, I graduated with an MS in Family and Human Development from Utah State University in Logan, Utah. In 2004 I graduated with a Post-Master's Certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy from Saint Mary's University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I became licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist, and then later became certified as an approved supervisor with the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy where I am a clinical fellow.

In the 1980's as I did volunteer work for the Women and Children in Crisis Center in Provo Utah, I developed a theory I called, "Displaced Power." I use that theory to help people who feel powerless. It has seemed to me that almost anyone who comes to therapy for almost any reason feels some powerlessness. I like to help people make a shift from what I call "displaced power" toward "the power within." I help them regain or gain a sense of control over their own lives. This process has been very helpful to me personally, and many clients have complimented me on my ability to give them greater hope and a sense of their sense of being able to take more effective control of their lives. "The Power Within" is the name of my private practice.

Harold "Lanny" Monson, on the BetterHelp listing · read 7 Oct 2026

03 · How Harold works

The 9 approaches Harold lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Harold lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Harold's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Harold runs a session.

Client-Centred TherapyPerson-centred · Rogerian

The therapist does not steer toward a technique or a diagnosis. They offer sustained, non-judgemental attention and reflect back what they hear, on the premise that people find their own direction when they are genuinely listened to. Often what people mean by “someone who just gets it”.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

The Gottman Method

A couples approach built on decades of observational research into what distinguishes relationships that last. Structured and assessment-led: it maps friendship, conflict and shared meaning, then works on the specific mechanics of how the two of you argue.

Mindfulness-Based TherapyMBCT

Trains attention on what is happening right now - body, breath, the thought as it arrives - so distress can be observed rather than automatically acted on. Strongest evidence is in preventing depression from recurring, and it is usually taught as a practice you keep doing outside the session.

Motivational InterviewingMI

A way of talking about change with somebody who is genuinely in two minds about it. The therapist does not argue for the change; they help you say your own reasons out loud, which is the part that predicts whether it happens. Common around substance use and health behaviour.

Narrative Therapy

Treats the story you tell about your life as something that can be examined and retold rather than as the plain facts. Separates the person from the problem - “the anxiety” rather than “your anxiety” - to make room for the parts the current story leaves out.

Solution-Focused Brief TherapySFBT

Starts from where you want to end up rather than from how you got here. Sessions look for the times the problem is already smaller and work out what is different about those, so the number of sessions tends to be short and the work concrete.

Trauma-Focused TherapyTF-CBT · trauma-informed

CBT adapted for people whose difficulty is rooted in a frightening or overwhelming event. Pacing is the point: safety and stabilisation come first, the memory itself is approached gradually and only when you are ready, and the aim is that recalling it stops hijacking the present.

Internal Family SystemsIFS

Treats the mind as made up of parts - the critic, the one who withdraws, the one that keeps everything running - each of which is trying to protect you. The work is getting to know them rather than overruling them.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Harold practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Harold's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Harold at this point.

2. Naming Harold specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Harold is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Harold.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

4 questions worth asking Harold

Built from what Harold actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Harold's - Harold has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Client-Centred Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “With 25 years in, what has changed most in how you work?”

  Long experience is only an advantage if it has been examined. This tends to surface whether it has.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LMFT

Licensed in

Utah

Licence

UT LMFT 5788419-3902, WA LMFT LF61263076

Licence number

5788419-3902

Licence expires

30 Sep 2028

NPI

1134348618

Years in practice

25

Gender

Male

Languages

English

International clients

Accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Harold's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 7 Oct 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Harold. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

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