About Vanessa
Vanessa Smith is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker practicing in Louisiana. She brings six years of direct clinical experience and focuses on practical help for everyday struggles like stress, anxiety, depression, and addiction. Vanessa speaks English and works with adults who are looking for straightforward support and change.
Her style is warm and interactive. She leans on a person-centered outlook that treats each client as the expert on their own life.
How Vanessa works
Sessions are conversational and aim to help people notice what already works for them and build on that. Vanessa uses several evidence-based approaches to guide sessions. She draws from cognitive behavioral ideas to help people spot patterns of thinking that get in the way.
She also uses solution-focused techniques to set clear goals and try small changes between sessions. She often supports people facing grief, life changes, parenting strains, relationship stress, compassion fatigue, and the challenges of substance use. Vanessa also helps people who are exploring life purpose and coping with bipolar symptoms.
Her aim is to help clients find manageable steps toward feeling better and more steady. In a session she listens closely, asks practical questions, and helps create realistic strategies. The goal is progress that fits into a person's life, not a one-size-fits-all plan.
Vanessa lists 5 ways of working on the entry:
What Vanessa works with
The areas below are the ones Vanessa selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
Also listed
- Bipolar disorder
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Family conflicts
- Life purpose
- Parenting issues
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
- Trauma and abuse
Training and background
| Registers | LPC, LCSW |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 6 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | Louisiana |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
How Vanessa’s Approaches Work Online
Vanessa uses client-centered methods that focus on who you are and what you want to change. Client-Centered Therapy means the therapist follows your lead, listens carefully, and helps you trust your own choices. It works well for people who need support making sense of feelings and priorities.She also draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT, which looks at how thoughts and actions affect mood. CBT helps with anxiety, depression, and coping with life changes by teaching practical skills to shift unhelpful thinking and behaviors. Dialectical Behavior Therapy or DBT offers tools for managing intense emotions and improving interpersonal effectiveness when stress or strong feelings get in the way.
Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Vanessa will talk with clients about goals, try approaches that fit those goals, and adjust plans based on what helps. That collaborative process makes it easier to focus on strategies that feel useful and realistic.
Online therapy lets people use video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit care into busy lives. Video is useful when face-to-face interaction helps; phone can be easier when bandwidth is limited. Live chat or text messaging can work for brief check-ins or ongoing support between sessions. These options give flexibility to schedule sessions around work, family, and daily demands while still using the same therapeutic methods.
Start online instead of waiting
Our partner service asks a few questions about what you are looking for and matches you with a therapist for sessions from home.
Book with VanessaWe will earn a commission if you sign up through our link, at no cost to you.
Common questions
What concerns does Vanessa work with?
How would you describe her therapy style?
What is her professional background?
What credentials and region are associated with Vanessa?
Which languages are sessions offered in?
What session formats are available?
How are costs handled for sessions?
How do I begin working with her?
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.
We will earn a commission if you sign up through our link, at no cost to you. Entries are not assessed or endorsed by this directory.
Other entries for stress, anxiety
Supportive LCSW helping people build strength and clarity
Practical, trauma-aware therapy for everyday life
Practical, relational therapy for life transitions