Elizabeth Smith
I'm a Licensed Professional Counselor with over 20 years of experience helping individuals who struggle with anxiety, self-doubt, relationship difficulties, or patterns of thoughts and behaviors that no longer serve them. Many of my clients are thoughtful, capable individuals who want to understand why they think, feel, and respond the way they do but aren't sure how to change these old, automatic patterns. I use evidence-based approaches, including CBT, Solution-Focused Therapy, Positive Psychology, and principles of Neuropsychotherapy, to help my clients develop deeper self-understanding and learn practical skills for change. My goal is to help you understand how your experiences have shaped your beliefs, thoughts, and behaviors. Together, we’ll develop practical steps to help you respond to your thoughts and emotions with greater clarity and feel more confident handling life’s challenges.
First session
Our first session is a chance for us to get acquainted and talk about what's bringing you to counseling. I'll ask about what's been going on in your life, what you've already tried, what's working, and what isn't. We'll look at how your concerns are affecting your daily life and begin identifying some of the patterns that may be contributing to them. I'll also want to know what you'd like to be different and what you're hoping to get out of counseling. Before we finish, we'll discuss where to begin, what our work together might look like, and a few practical things you can start doing between sessions. I want you to leave with a sense of direction, not just another appointment on your calendar.
Strengths
I bring empathy, curiosity, and a steady belief in each person’s capacity to grow, even when it feels impossible to see a way forward. I listen without judgement, create space for even your most difficult emotions, and provide thoughtful questions and feedback to help us both understand your experiences more clearly. Expect me to gently challenge troublesome automatic thoughts, limiting beliefs, and responses identifying patterns that may be the obstacle keeping you stuck. My approach is collaborative, compassionate, and practical. Together, we will turn insight into useful coping skills, more intentional choices, and meaningful steps you can apply in everyday life.
Ideal clients
I enjoy working with adults who are interested in understanding themselves more deeply and willing to take an active role in creating change. Many of my clients experience anxiety, perfectionism, burnout, family conflict, relationship difficulties, or the challenges that accompany significant life transitions. You may be someone others consistently depend on, yet find it difficult to ask for support yourself. Perhaps you struggle with overthinking, self-criticism, unrealistic expectations, or feeling responsible for keeping everything together. You might even understand where these patterns originated but find that insight alone hasn't helped you change them. You don't have to know exactly what needs to change or how to get there. That's part of what we'll figure out together. I bring the clinical knowledge, thoughtful questions, and practical strategies; you bring your experiences, perspective, and willingness to try something different. My hope is that you'll leave counseling not only understanding yourself better, but feeling more capable of handling life's challenges and making decisions that reflect the life you actually want to live.
Treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use CBT to help you understand the connection between your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors and recognize patterns that may be keeping you stuck. Together, we look at the thoughts and beliefs influencing how you respond to situations, especially those that have become automatic over time. From there, we work on developing healthier ways of thinking and responding that you can practice in everyday life. My goal is not simply to help you understand why you feel the way you do, but to give you practical tools to create lasting change.
Polyvagal Therapy
Polyvagal Therapy helps you better understand how your nervous system responds to stress, anxiety, conflict, and overwhelming experiences. Together, we learn to recognize the signals your body gives when you are becoming overwhelmed, shutting down, or feeling unsafe, often before you are consciously aware of it. From there, we develop practical strategies to help you feel more grounded, regulate your emotions, and respond to difficult situations with greater flexibility and control. The goal is to help you understand your nervous system rather than simply react to it, giving you tools you can use in everyday life.
Solution-Focused Brief Treatment
Solution-Focused Therapy emphasizes where you want to go, not just what brought you to counseling. Together, we identify your strengths, what is already working, and the small, realistic changes that can begin moving you toward the life you want. Rather than spending every session analyzing the problem, we focus on practical solutions, achievable goals, and helping you recognize your own ability to create meaningful change.
Faith-based therapy
Faith-Based Counseling provides space to explore life’s challenges while honoring the beliefs, values, and spiritual practices that are important to you. When desired, faith can be incorporated alongside evidence-based therapeutic approaches to help you make sense of difficult experiences, find direction, and approach decisions in ways that align with what you believe. The goal is to support both emotional well-being and the deeper sense of meaning, purpose, and hope that faith can provide.
Couples Counseling
Couples Counseling provides a space to better understand the patterns affecting your relationship and work toward healthier ways of communicating and connecting. Together, we identify recurring cycles, explore the needs and emotions beneath conflict, and develop practical skills for navigating disagreements, rebuilding trust, and strengthening emotional connection. The goal is not to determine who is right or wrong, but to help you understand one another more clearly and create lasting improvements in your relationship.
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
Christian
Woman
Top specialties
Anxiety
Life Transitions
Self Esteem
Other specialties
ADHD
Anger Management
Attachment Issues
Career Counseling
Couples Counseling
Peer Relationships
Women's Issues
Serves
Adults (18 to 64)
Couples Counseling
Individual Therapy
Licensed in
LouisianaLicense 3657