Works with
- Anger
- Stress, Anxiety
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
- Depression
How Kelly works
Practical facts
- Credentials
- LCSW
- Licensed in
- New York, California, Virginia, Washington
- Years in practice
- 30
- Languages
- English
- Session format
- Online, through our partner platform
About Kelly
Kelly Smith is a licensed clinical social worker with three decades of experience in psychotherapy. Kelly offers calm, practical support for people facing stress, anger, anxiety, depression, relationship strain, and changes in life circumstance. The tone in sessions is warm and direct, with respect and compassion at the center.
Kelly uses clear, straightforward conversation to help people make sense of what is happening. Sessions focus on real problems and useful steps rather than jargon.
Background and approach
Kelly listens for what matters most and adapts the work to each person’s needs. Much of Kelly’s work draws on cognitive-behavioral techniques to identify thoughts and habits that keep problems going. Mindfulness practices are used to build present-moment awareness and reduce reactivity.
Dialectical behavior tools help people manage intense emotions when stress or anger feels overwhelming. Kelly also brings a client-centered and psychodynamic perspective to understand patterns rooted in past experiences. That background helps when issues involve attachment, abandonment, or longstanding family dynamics.
The aim is to combine short-term coping skills with deeper insight when it’s helpful. Sessions are designed to be collaborative and solution-focused. Kelly helps people set practical goals, try new skills between sessions, and track what is working.
The focus is on steady progress and real-world change.
What Kelly works with
Everything Kelly lists, in the therapist's own terms. Anger is the reason this directory exists; the rest tells you what usually sits alongside it in Kelly's practice.
- Stress, Anxiety
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
- Depression
- Addictions
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Antisocial personality
- Attachment issues
- Avoidant personality
- BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Dependent personality
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fertility issues
- Forgiveness
- Gender dysphoria
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Personality disorders
- Phobias
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sex addiction
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Kelly lists
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Somatic Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
- Systemic Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
Therapeutic approaches you can use online
Kelly often blends cognitive-behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy in online sessions. Cognitive-behavioral therapy focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing new ways of thinking and acting to reduce anxiety, depression, or anger. Dialectical behavior therapy offers concrete skills for managing intense emotions and improving distress tolerance and interpersonal effectiveness.Finding the right approach is part of the work. Kelly will collaborate with each person to decide which tools to try first based on goals, needs, and what feels comfortable. That collaborative decision-making is revisited as progress is made so the plan can change when needed.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video calls let people read facial cues and have longer, therapy-style conversations. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth or camera use is an issue. Live chat and text messaging work well for brief check-ins, coaching on skills between sessions, or when someone prefers typed communication. These options make therapy more flexible and easier to fit into busy lives.
Questions people ask about Kelly
What concerns does Kelly commonly address?
Kelly helps people with stress, anger, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, relationship and intimacy issues, addiction, grief, parenting strain, ADHD, and related concerns.
How would you describe Kelly's therapeutic style?
Sessions are warm, interactive, and focused on practical steps. Kelly emphasizes validation, respect, and working together on goals.
What kind of experience does this therapist bring?
Kelly has 30 years of experience as a psychotherapist and clinical supervisor, working across a wide range of presenting issues and client needs.
Where is Kelly licensed to practice and based?
Kelly holds LCSW credentials in New York and Virginia and is based in Virginia.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Are international clients accepted?
International clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are available online?
Kelly offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different schedules and communication preferences.
How does the cost and subscription work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.