Michael Smith, LMHC

Michael Smith is a licensed mental health counselor with 38 years of clinical experience in New York. He helps people facing anxiety, depression, stress, and the daily challenges that come with mood and behavioral concerns. He keeps sessions straightforward and focused on practical steps people can use right away.

He often blends cognitive behavioral ideas with a client-centered listening style. That means he helps clients spot unhelpful thinking, try small behavior changes, and guides conversations so each person’s priorities lead the work. He also uses mindfulness and existential perspectives to help people connect with values and tolerate hard feelings.

Michael has a long background working with addiction, trauma and abuse, and a range of mood and personality issues. He also supports people dealing with grief, intimacy concerns, and challenges around work and life transitions. He pays attention to how thinking and daily routines affect mood and energy.

Sessions are aimed at building useful skills, reducing symptom distress, and identifying realistic next steps. He emphasizes clear goals, short-term experiments, and simple tools that can fit into busy lives. People often leave sessions with concrete actions to try before the next appointment.

Michael brings calm, direct guidance and decades of experience to each meeting. He will listen, help prioritize what matters most, and work alongside clients to track progress over time.

Practical Approaches for Online Care

Michael often uses cognitive behavioral ideas to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and try small behavior changes that improve mood and day-to-day functioning. CBT techniques are useful for anxiety, depression, panic, obsessions, and many stress-related problems.

He also brings a client-centered approach that emphasizes listening and following each person’s priorities. That style helps people feel heard while they set their own goals and decide what changes matter most. Mindfulness techniques are added when learning how to tolerate difficult feelings and stay present during stressful moments.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. He will collaborate with each person to choose methods that fit their needs, goals, and preferences. That means adjusting interventions over time if something isn’t working.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video sessions allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues, phone calls can be a simpler option with lower bandwidth, live chat works well for shorter check-ins, and text messaging supports ongoing reflections between meetings. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules and different routines.