Donna Smith , LMHC

Donna Smith is a masters-prepared Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) based in Rochester, New York, with 35 years of professional experience. She completed her counselor training at the University of Rochester and has spent decades working in a range of mental health settings, focusing her passion on one-on-one work that helps individuals enhance the quality of their lives.

Donna blends clinical skill with a love of creative writing, believing that personal stories and narrative can illuminate patterns, strengths, and possibilities. As an LMHC - a credential that denotes specialized training and licensure to provide mental health counseling - she draws on both professional training and life experience to support people facing stress, anxiety, grief, relationship challenges, trauma, addictions, parenting concerns, mood disorders, and identity-related matters among other issues.

She describes her role as a guide and partner, working collaboratively with clients to clarify goals and choose paths that reflect their values and hopes. In sessions she offers a genuine, open, trusting, and hope-filled therapeutic partnership, using established approaches to help clients build coping skills, deepen self-understanding, and move toward the future they imagine.

Donna values the courage it takes to begin therapy and honors each person’s unique story and pace. She brings warmth, experience, and a commitment to walking alongside clients as they navigate change and healing.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Donna Smith utilizes evidence-informed approaches that help clients clarify values, build skills, and deepen emotional understanding. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on accepting difficult thoughts and feelings while committing to actions that align with personal values - it can be useful for anxiety, stress, and life transitions. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes empathy, unconditional positive regard, and collaboration so clients can explore their sense of self and grow at their own pace - it often helps with relationship concerns, self-esteem, and identity-related work. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) targets unhelpful thinking patterns and teaches practical strategies to change behavior and mood, which can be effective for depression, anxiety, and coping with challenging situations.

Finding the best approach is part of the therapeutic process. Donna works collaboratively with clients to identify which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences, and she adjusts the plan as clients learn and change.

Online therapy offers flexibility in how care is delivered. Sessions can be scheduled as video calls or phone conversations, and shorter check-ins or ongoing support can occur via live chat or text-based messaging. These options make it easier to access licensed professionals and maintain continuity of care while balancing work, family, and other commitments.