Dr. Shawanda Woods-Smith, LA Psychologist
Calm, practical help for strong emotions
Book with ShawandaWorks with
- Anger
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
- Career difficulties
- Depression
How Shawanda works
Practical facts
- Credentials
- LA Psychologist
- Licensed in
- Louisiana
- Years in practice
- 16
- Languages
- English
- Session format
- Online, through our partner platform
About Shawanda
Dr. Shawanda Woods-Smith welcomes people who are feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure how to manage strong emotions like anger. She writes simply and directly, helping clients identify what matters most and set practical steps to change.
Dr. Woods-Smith is a Louisiana psychologist with 16 years of experience and the credential LA Psychologist 1298. She focuses on concrete goals.
Sessions often start with what the person wants to be different this week.
Background and approach
That might mean easing anxiety, managing anger, repairing a close relationship, or coping with grief. The work is collaborative: she listens, reflects, and then offers tools that fit the person's life. Her approach mixes client-centered care with cognitive behavioral tools and solution-focused planning.
Client-centered Therapy means she follows the client’s pace and priorities. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps people notice and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. Solution-Focused Therapy keeps attention on steps that move someone forward.
She also uses mindfulness and motivational interviewing techniques to support motivation and awareness. Mindfulness helps people stay present and reduce reactivity. Motivational interviewing can help when someone feels stuck or ambivalent about change.
Dr. Woods-Smith brings practical education into sessions so people better understand patterns that contribute to distress. She has experience with a wide range of concerns including stress, trauma, parenting strain, relationship problems, addiction, and life transitions.
Her style aims to be straightforward and respectful while helping each person build clear, usable skills.
What Shawanda works with
Everything Shawanda lists, in the therapist's own terms. Anger is the reason this directory exists; the rest tells you what usually sits alongside it in Shawanda's practice.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
- Career difficulties
- Depression
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- ADHD
- Blended family issues
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Immigration issues
- Infidelity
- Intellectual disability
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Personality disorders
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Self-love
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Shawanda lists
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-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 means sessions focus on the client’s priorities and pace; online formats can make it easier to begin with what matters most and move at a comfortable speed. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) gives clear steps for changing thoughts and behaviors, such as tracking triggers and trying brief behavioral experiments between sessions. Mindfulness Therapy offers simple practices for noticing feelings and lowering reactivity; these exercises can be guided in a live session and practiced afterward.Choosing the best approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, try methods that seem promising, and adjust based on what helps. Clients are encouraged to give feedback so the plan stays practical and relevant.
Online therapy provides flexibility for different needs. Video calls allow face-to-face interaction for skill coaching and deeper conversations. Phone sessions can work when bandwidth is limited or when someone prefers not to be on camera. Live chat and text-based messaging are useful for brief check-ins, homework support, or when a shorter, more frequent touchpoint helps maintain progress. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life while using the same therapeutic approaches.
Questions people ask about Shawanda
What kinds of problems does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship and intimacy issues, anger, addiction concerns, ADHD, and related life changes.
What is her general therapy style?
Her style is collaborative and supportive. She listens first, then helps set practical, short-term goals and offers tools to try between sessions.
How long has she been practicing?
She has 16 years of experience as a clinician working with a broad range of concerns and populations.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is listed as LA Psychologist 1298 and practices in Louisiana.
In what languages are sessions offered?
Sessions are offered in English.
Are remote or international sessions available?
She does not accept international clients; sessions are offered within the region via the listed formats.
What session formats are available?
Clients can choose video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging depending on what fits their needs.
How does cost and scheduling work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and uses a subscription that can be canceled at any time. To start, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a session.