Lisa Smith, LCSW

Lisa Smith is a licensed clinical social worker with 30 years of experience helping people through stress, anxiety, depression, grief, and trauma. She works with individuals facing burnout, compassion fatigue, addictions, and major life changes. Her practice also addresses mood disorders, panic, obsessions and compulsions, and difficulties with self-esteem and relationships.

She keeps sessions straightforward and focused. Lisa uses practical skills people can try between meetings. She listens for patterns that make problems worse and helps clients build small routines to reduce distress. Sessions aim to make things feel more manageable week to week.

Her approach draws on cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and dialectical behavior therapy among other methods. Lisa blends talk and action so people practice new ways of coping in real life. She also uses motivational interviewing and solution-focused techniques when useful.

Lisa has worked across a wide range of concerns over her career, including domestic violence, hospice and end-of-life counseling, intellectual disability, and recovery from disasters. That experience informs practical strategies for people coping with complex or overlapping problems.

Based in Missouri, she offers sessions by video call, phone, live chat, or text messaging. Sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time. Conversations are collaborative and paced to each person’s needs.

How therapy approaches translate to online care

CBT, or cognitive behavioral therapy, focuses on spotting unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and testing small changes to see if they help reduce symptoms like anxiety, panic, or low mood. It often involves short exercises and homework to practice new habits between sessions.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, helps people notice painful thoughts without getting trapped by them and clarify what matters most to them. This approach supports coping with grief, life transitions, and meaning-focused concerns by linking actions to personal values.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, teaches skills for regulating strong emotions, tolerating distress, and improving interpersonal effectiveness. It can be useful when emotions feel overwhelming or when behavior patterns cause repeated problems.

Choosing an approach is a team effort. The therapist will talk with each person about their goals and try methods that fit those needs. If something isn’t working, the plan can be adjusted so the approach better matches what the client wants to achieve.

Online sessions offer flexibility to fit therapy into a busy life. Video calls allow face-to-face conversations and skill demonstrations. Phone sessions can be a good option when video is difficult, and live chat or text messaging work well for brief check-ins, homework support, or more frequent contact. These formats make it easier to keep consistent care while balancing work, family, or mobility needs.