Vanessa Smith , LPC, LCSW

Vanessa Smith is a licensed mental health professional who brings six years of clinical experience to her practice in Louisiana. She holds the credentials LPC and LCSW - LPC stands for Licensed Professional Counselor and LCSW stands for Licensed Clinical Social Worker - and uses that training to support people navigating a wide range of life challenges.

Vanessa has worked with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including people coping with depression, anxiety, relationship difficulties, parenting challenges, anger, substance use concerns, grief and major life changes. Her experience also includes supporting returning citizens as they reintegrate and rebuild. She blends a warm, interactive approach with person-centered and humanistic principles, treating each person as the expert on their own life while offering guidance through healing and growth.

Vanessa emphasizes collaboration, helping clients access their inner resources and make interpersonal changes that align with their values. Her overall aim is to help people move toward greater fulfillment, improved coping, and new perspectives that support long-term wellbeing. She frames progress as a joint effort between therapist and client, focused on practical steps and meaningful outcomes.

Approaches That Guide Online Care

Vanessa often uses client-centered therapy, which focuses on meeting people where they are and building treatment around their goals and values. This approach prioritizes empathy and collaboration, helping people gain insight and confidence to make meaningful changes.

She also employs cognitive behavioral therapy - CBT - to help clients identify unhelpful thoughts and patterns and to develop practical skills for managing symptoms like anxiety and depression. CBT is action-oriented and can be useful for relationship issues, mood concerns, and coping with life transitions.

Dialectical behavior therapy - DBT - is used when emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness are central concerns. DBT offers concrete tools for managing intense emotions and improving relationships.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Vanessa works collaboratively with each person to determine which methods best suit their needs, goals, and preferences, and she adjusts techniques as progress is made.

Online sessions can take place by video, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging, offering flexibility for scheduling and access. These options make it easier for people to fit therapy into busy lives, continue care during transitions, and maintain regular contact with a licensed professional when in-person sessions are not possible.