Licensed to practice in Ohio and accepts 21 insurances. Specializes in Coping Skills, Emotional Regulation, Spirituality and 10 more.
(she/her)
Clients say this provider is
My name is Darcy Smith, and I’m a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor Supervisor (LPCC-S) in the state of Ohio. I’m from Southern Ohio, and this community has been home for most of my life. I’ve raised my two sons here, who are now 19 and 6, and being able to serve the people and communities I know and love is something I’m genuinely grateful for. My journey in the helping profession began about 16 years ago, when I started working as a Behavioral Rehabilitation Specialist at a short-term substance use treatment facility in West Virginia. That experience sparked a passion for understanding people, their stories, and the things that shape the way we move through the world. I went on to earn an Associate in Arts and Sciences with an emphasis in Social Science and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Ohio University. I then spent seven years working at a local community mental health agency, where I had the opportunity to work with a wide variety of people, diagnoses, and levels of care. While working in the field, I earned my Master of Education in Counseling and Human Development with an emphasis in Mental Health Counseling from Lindsey Wilson University in Kentucky. Over the years, those experiences shaped not only the therapist I wanted to become, but also the kind of space I wanted to create for the people I serve. Eventually, that vision became Soul Oasis Counseling and Psychotherapy Services, where I’m honored to be the owner and primary therapist. I’m grateful to continue doing work I genuinely love and to have the opportunity to walk alongside people as they navigate some of life’s hardest, most confusing, and sometimes most meaningful moments.
I have a relaxed, informal counseling style and provide a calm, comfortable space for us to work together. Our first session is an opportunity for us to get to know each other and begin understanding what brought you to therapy. We’ll talk about what has been happening in your life, what you’re hoping will change, and what you feel you need from therapy. I’ll also complete a thorough assessment so we can begin developing a clear picture of your mental health and the concerns you’re experiencing. From there, we’ll begin identifying goals for our work together and developing a treatment plan that reflects your needs, priorities, and what you’re hoping to get from therapy. I use an eclectic approach, drawing from person-centered therapy, CBT, DBT, trauma-informed care, and other evidence-based practices, but I don't believe in forcing everyone into the same therapeutic formula. Our approach will be shaped around you. Most importantly, I want you to leave that first session with a better sense of what therapy with me will look like and a clearer idea of where we can begin. You don't need to arrive with everything figured out. You can simply come as you are, and we'll start from there.
I think one of the greatest strengths I bring to therapy is the ability to meet people where they are without judgment. Empathy, advocacy, and being a genuine ally to my clients are values I hold in high esteem. I want my clients to feel like they can be honest with me—even when what they’re bringing into the room feels complicated, uncomfortable, or difficult to put into words. A significant part of my career has been devoted to working with individuals navigating substance use, alcohol use, and addiction. I understand that substance use rarely exists in a vacuum. We’ll look at the bigger picture—what substances may be helping you cope with, what they may be disrupting, what keeps you feeling stuck, and what might make change feel possible. My goal is not to judge where you are, but to help you understand yourself, identify barriers, and build a healthier way forward. I also value culturally responsive therapy and recognize that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to mental health. My experience includes working with people from a wide range of cultural, racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and family backgrounds. I strive to create a space where your identity, culture, experiences, and values are respected rather than treated as something separate from your mental health. I’m proud to be an LGBTQIA+ ally and provide an affirming space for clients exploring or navigating questions around sexuality, gender identity, and transition. For many people, these experiences can intersect with family dynamics, social stressors, discrimination, or past trauma. Wherever you are in that process, you deserve a therapist who will listen without assumptions and support you in figuring out what feels right for you. I’ll bring my experience, curiosity, and clinical perspective to the room. You bring your story. The work we do together starts there.
I’ve had the privilege of working with a wide variety of people throughout my career, across different ages, backgrounds, abilities, diagnoses, and levels of care. I’ve worked with individuals navigating depression, anxiety, ADHD, Bipolar Disorder, PTSD, substance use, and co-occurring mental health and substance use concerns. Because of that, I don't think my ideal client can really be defined by a diagnosis or a particular type of person. My ideal client is someone who is willing to be curious about themselves and open to being an active participant in the therapy process. You don't have to come into therapy knowing exactly what you need, and you certainly don't have to have everything figured out. But I do believe meaningful change happens when we are willing to be honest, explore what's happening beneath the surface, and try something a little different. I tend to approach therapy as a collaborative process. We'll assess what's bringing you to therapy, develop goals that actually make sense for your life, and build a plan for addressing what you're experiencing. From there, we'll practice skills and strategies together and pay attention to what works, what doesn't, and what needs to change. I also believe therapy doesn't end when the session does. The things we talk about become most useful when you have opportunities to practice them in your everyday life. Sometimes that means homework or intentional practice between sessions; sometimes it simply means noticing something differently and bringing that observation back with you. You don't have to be perfectly motivated, completely confident, or ready to change everything at once. You just have to be willing to show up, be honest, and stay curious about what might be possible.
Cash - $100 per session
Aetna
Aetna - Allied Benefits
Aetna - Lucent Health
Aetna - Luminare
Aetna - Moda
Aetna - WebTPA
Aetna – HealthEZ
Amerihealth Administrators
Arlo
Buckeye Health Plan
Buckeye Health Plan (Managed Medicaid)
Centivo
Cigna
Cigna - HealthEZ
EAP:Cigna
EAP:Evernorth
Evernorth
GTEB
Medicaid - Buckeye Health Plan
Medical Mutual of Ohio
Tufts Health/Cigna
CBT is one of the primary approaches I use in therapy. It can help us look at the connection between your thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and experiences—and how those patterns may be influencing the way you’re feeling or responding to life today. Together, we’ll explore the beliefs and assumptions you’ve developed along the way, including the ones that may be keeping you stuck. We’ll also look at what is happening in the present and focus on what you can actually change. When it fits your needs, I incorporate practical CBT skills and exercises into our work. Sometimes changing the way we think starts with changing what we do. By trying something different, practicing new skills, and having new experiences, we can begin to challenge old patterns and create new ones. CBT isn't about simply “thinking positive.” It’s about becoming more aware of the patterns that influence you and learning how to respond to them differently.
DBT is probably my favorite therapeutic approach and one I lean on most in my work. At the heart of DBT is the idea of dialectics—that two things can be true at the same time. You can love someone and still need boundaries. You can want change and still be afraid of it. You can be doing the best you can and still have room to grow. I love that DBT makes space for those complexities rather than asking us to choose one truth and dismiss the other. In our work together, I use a person-centered, nonjudgmental approach to help you slow down and explore the different truths that may exist within your experiences. We’ll look at your emotions, thoughts, behaviors, relationships, and circumstances with curiosity rather than judgment, while also exploring what might need to change. I incorporate psychoeducation and practical skills to help you understand what is happening beneath the surface and give you tools you can actually use when difficult moments arise. DBT can help with emotional regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness, communication, and relationships—but for me, it’s about more than learning skills. It’s about learning to hold the complexity of being human without having to make yourself—or your experiences—simpler than they really are.
At the core of how I practice is a person-centered approach. I believe my clients are the authors of their own lives. You know your experiences, your relationships, your values, and your life in a way that no therapist ever could. My role is not to write your story for you, but to help you explore it. I see myself as a guide through the therapy process while respecting your autonomy and the choices that are yours to make. I want our work together to feel collaborative, genuine, and free of judgment. Person-centered therapy is grounded in unconditional positive regard, acceptance, genuineness, and empathy. For me, those aren't just concepts from a textbook—they are the foundation of how I want to show up for my clients. I believe there is room in therapy for honesty, uncertainty, contradiction, and change. You don't have to convince me that your feelings make sense before we can explore them. We can start wherever you are and work from there.
I believe trauma can be approached and treated on many different levels, and not everyone wants—or needs—to begin by exploring their deepest experiences. Trauma-informed care, to me, means meeting you where you are and allowing the work to develop at a pace that feels both meaningful and manageable. Sometimes that may look like psychoeducation: learning how trauma can affect the brain, body, emotions, relationships, and sense of self. Sometimes the most helpful work is learning to recognize what is happening within your body, developing interoception and self-awareness, and building self-regulation skills that you can actually rely on. We may incorporate DBT skills, grounding, mindfulness, and other practical tools to help you feel more capable of navigating difficult moments. For clients who eventually want to explore trauma more deeply, I have specialized training in Forward-Facing Trauma Therapy through the Arizona Trauma Institute with Dr. Eric Gentry. This approach allows us to work toward deeper trauma processing when that feels appropriate for the client. I believe meaningful trauma work requires a foundation of stability and coping skills that you know work for you. We can spend as much time building that foundation as you need, or move into deeper exploration when you feel ready and the tools you've developed give you something solid to come back to. My goal isn't to decide how deeply you should go. It's to help you develop the awareness, skills, and sense of agency to decide what feels right for you—and to be there with you wherever that process leads.