Works with
- Anger
- Stress, Anxiety
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
How Cortney works
Practical facts
- Credentials
- LMHC
- Licensed in
- New York
- Years in practice
- 11
- Languages
- English
- Session format
- Online, through our partner platform
About Cortney
Cortney (Bota) Smith is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) who focuses on practical, person-centered care. She uses straightforward talk and clear goals to help people navigate stress, anxiety, anger, mood shifts, and life changes. She brings 11 years of clinical work to each session, most of it in community clinic settings with adult clients.
Cortney has experience with a wide range of concerns including depression, bipolar disorder, trauma and abuse, addictions, grief, relationship and intimacy issues, sleep problems, parenting strain, and low self-esteem.
Background and approach
She also lists anger as a key focus area. Cortney trained with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling. Her clinical preparation included 1,000 supervised internship hours across different placements.
That training informs her day-to-day approach with clients. In sessions she centers the person and their goals. Cortney listens first, then offers tools from cognitive behavioral techniques and solution-focused methods.
She uses motivational interviewing to help people find their own reasons for change. Many of her years were spent providing traditional face-to-face therapy. For the past seven years she has also worked online, carrying those same practical methods into video, phone, chat, and text formats.
Her availability is primarily weekdays with some flexibility for evening appointments when possible.
What Cortney works with
Everything Cortney lists, in the therapist's own terms. Anger is the reason this directory exists; the rest tells you what usually sits alongside it in Cortney's practice.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- Addictions
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Coping with life changes
Approaches Cortney lists
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Motivational Interviewing
- Solution-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
How her approaches translate to online care
Client-Centered Therapy is about listening and adapting to what each person brings. In practice this means the therapist follows the client’s lead, asks about goals, and shapes sessions around those priorities. It helps with motivation, self-esteem, and making choices that fit daily life.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, focuses on the links between thoughts, feelings, and actions. Sessions include identifying thought patterns, testing them, and practicing new behaviors. This approach is useful for anxiety, depression, anger, and sleep problems because it gives concrete skills to use between sessions.
She will work together with each person to choose the best approach. Finding the right therapeutic method is a shared process that depends on the client’s goals, preferences, and what emerges in early sessions. Plans are adjusted over time based on what helps most.
Online therapy with video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging makes it easier to fit care into a busy life. Video allows face-to-face interaction when visual cues matter. Phone sessions can be shorter check-ins or work better when bandwidth is limited. Chat and messaging suit quick updates, ongoing support, or people who prefer writing. These options increase flexibility and help people stay consistent with progress.
Questions people ask about Cortney
What issues does she commonly help with?
She helps people manage stress, anxiety, anger, and mood disorders such as depression and bipolar. Other areas include trauma, addictions, grief, relationship and intimacy concerns, sleep problems, and parenting strain.
How would you describe her therapy style?
Her style is person-centered and goal oriented. She listens first, then uses cognitive behavioral and solution-focused tools to build practical strategies.
What is her clinical background?
She has 11 years of clinical experience, with much work in community clinics and adult outpatient care. Her training included a Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling and 1,000 internship hours.
Where is she based and licensed?
She is licensed as an LMHC in New York and practices from that state.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients connect for therapy?
International clients are not currently accepted; she works with clients within the jurisdiction covered by her New York license.
What formats are available for sessions?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different schedules and needs.
How does the cost and scheduling work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time. To start, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to the therapist's availability.