Kristen Smith

Kristen Smith is a licensed mental health counselor practicing in Florida. She brings 27 years of experience supporting people through grief, addiction, relationship strain, and other painful life changes. Kristen frames the work around each person's strengths and goals. She aims to make the first step feel manageable and supported.

She uses practical, down-to-earth methods that focus on what helps right now. Sessions can address anxiety, depression, bipolar concerns, and stress from caregiving or work. She also helps people facing trauma, intimacy challenges, ADHD, and identity questions related to LGBT concerns.

Kristen draws from Client-Centered Therapy to listen closely and build a respectful working relationship. She incorporates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to spot unhelpful thinking and try small behavior changes. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills are used when emotional regulation and distress tolerance are central needs.

Her approach is collaborative and straightforward. She helps people set clear, achievable goals and practices skills between sessions. Conversations are paced to suit the person's readiness and comfort level.

Kristen also supports issues tied to family of origin, abandonment, adoption and foster care, aging and caregiver stress. People who want a focused, strengths-based counselor for grief, end-of-life concerns, or long-term behavior change may find her approach practical and steady.

How her approaches work online and in practice

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and responding to what matters most to the person. This approach helps when someone needs acceptance, a chance to be heard, and a space to clarify goals. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at thoughts and behaviors that keep problems going and offers simple experiments and skills to change them. CBT is often useful for anxiety, depression, and sleep or eating concerns. Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, includes skills for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and better interpersonal balance; it can help with intense emotions, impulsive behavior, and relationship struggles.

Choosing an approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, preferences, and what feels useful. Together they decide which methods to try and adjust the plan as progress is made. That collaborative process helps match techniques to the person's needs rather than assuming one method fits all.

Confirm current session options before booking so you know how sessions are offered. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life, shorten travel time, and allow quicker check-ins between appointments. It can also let people choose quieter times, avoid commuting, and maintain continuity through life transitions. Talk with the therapist about scheduling and pacing so sessions support daily routines and real-world goals.