Shannon Smith

Shannon Smith is a Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) based in Ohio who focuses on helping people through hard moments. She draws on ten years working in behavioral health and offers steady, practical support for stress, anxiety, depression, grief, and other intense feelings.

She listens closely and responds with gentle, straightforward feedback. Sessions emphasize learning coping skills that can calm the mind and body, from grounding exercises to breathing and emotion-regulation techniques. Shannon incorporates clients' values into care and aims to meet each person where they are.

Her background includes a Master of Science in Social Administration focused on adult mental health from Case Western Reserve University and a dual role as a civilian therapist and social work officer in the Army National Guard. Those experiences shape a calm, attentive style and attention to practical detail.

Shannon uses a mix of approaches including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Attachment-Based Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and client-centered methods. She explains techniques plainly and practices them together with clients so skills can be used outside sessions.

People who want clear tools for managing emotions, support through grief or hospice and end-of-life counseling conversations, or help with relationship and identity concerns may find her style approachable. She aims to help clients identify strengths and move toward the changes they want in life.

How therapeutic approaches guide online care

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) teaches ways to notice difficult thoughts without getting stuck in them and to take action that matches personal values. It can help with anxiety, depression, and making choices during major life changes. Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on how early relationships shape current patterns and helps people build more secure ways of relating and regulating emotions. That work can be useful for relationship difficulties, abandonment or attachment concerns, and grief. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact and uses practical exercises to shift unhelpful patterns; it is often used for anxiety, depression, and sleep or eating struggles.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. The therapist will talk with each person about goals and preferences and then use methods that fit. That means Shannon and the client decide together which techniques to try and when to adjust the plan.

Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, for instance by reducing travel time or allowing a shorter check-in during a work break. Because session formats are not listed here, confirm the current options before booking so you know how meetings will take place. Many people find online sessions let them practice skills in everyday settings and bring real-world situations into the conversation.