About Colleen
Colleen Canfield-Smith helps people who are struggling with stress, anxiety, parenting challenges, low self-esteem, depression, ADHD, relationship strain, grief, anger, and coping with life changes. She is a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) with 21 years of experience and practices in New York. Her approach is straightforward and focused on what will help in day-to-day life.
She offers a calm, supportive space where people can talk through what is hard.
How Colleen works
Colleen listens for strengths and practical steps. She uses simple tools like relaxation practice and humor when appropriate. Her background spans schools, hospitals, community agencies, and primary care settings.
Those roles shaped how she sees the real pressures of parenting, work stress, and blended family dynamics. She also draws on personal experience raising three children. Clinically she combines Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Therapy, and mindfulness practices.
That mix helps with mood disorders, social anxiety, and problems that come up in young adulthood. Sessions focus on clear goals and small, manageable changes. Colleen uses relaxation training and mindfulness to reduce overwhelm and to build coping skills.
She emphasizes collaboration - clients help set the agenda and guide the work. The aim is practical progress that fits each person’s life. People meet by phone, video, live chat, or text-based messaging.
Colleen frames therapy as a shared process of finding what helps, step by step.
Colleen lists 4 ways of working on the entry:
What Colleen works with
The areas below are the ones Colleen selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Parenting issues
- Self esteem
Also listed
- ADHD
- Anger management
- Blended family issues
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Family conflicts
- Family problems
- Grief
- Mood disorders
- Relationship issues
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Young adult issues
Training and background
| Register | LMHC |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 21 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | New York |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
How Colleen’s Approaches Translate to Online Therapy
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and responding to each person’s needs. It prioritizes the client’s perspective and uses empathy to help people identify what matters and what they want to change. This approach is useful for parenting stress, grief, and building self-esteem.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and actions. It teaches straightforward skills for managing anxiety, low mood, and social fears by testing unhelpful thoughts and trying small behavioral experiments.
Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will work together with the client to choose methods that match goals, preferences, and daily life. Plans are adjusted over time based on what is working and what needs changing.
Online sessions through video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules. Video is good for face-to-face conversation and guided exercises. Phone sessions can be a simpler option when bandwidth is limited. Live chat or text messages work well for shorter check-ins, written reflections, or when someone prefers not to use video. These options provide flexibility to practice skills between sessions and to keep momentum toward goals.
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Common questions
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A practical next step
Write down two things you would want to be different in six months. That is the most useful thing to bring to a first session, whoever it is with. If you would rather start now than keep reading, online sessions are the quickest route.
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