Profile / United States
Donna Smith, LMHC
New York
New York LMHC - anxiety and relationships
See online therapy options- CBT methods
- Acceptance and Commitment
- Client-centered work
About Donna
Donna Smith is a New York licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) with 35 years of clinical experience. She focuses on stress, anxiety, grief, depression, relationship and intimacy-related concerns, addiction, trauma and abuse, parenting, ADHD, and issues related to LGBT identity and gender dysphoria. Donna uses practical, skills-based work to help people manage day-to-day problems and painful feelings.
She favors clear strategies that help people notice unhelpful thoughts and habits. Donna draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) alongside Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Client-Centered approaches. Sessions often include learning simple tools, practicing different responses, and checking what works in real life.
Her background includes a master’s level counseling education from the University of Rochester and long experience across mental health settings. Donna describes her role as partnering with people to clarify goals and test useful changes rather than handing down answers. She also writes creatively and brings that interest into how people tell their own stories.
In sessions she tends to be direct and practical. Conversations cover specific situations, typical thoughts, and step-by-step experiments to try between meetings. Donna pays attention to emotions and relationships while keeping the work focused on behavior and choices.
Her approach suits people who want structured help, clear tools, and straightforward feedback. She asks clients to try new skills and then reviews how those changes went. The emphasis is on small, manageable steps toward better day-to-day functioning.
How Donna Uses CBT, ACT, and Client-Centered Work Online
Donna uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people identify unhelpful thoughts and test small behavior changes. CBT sessions focus on practical exercises, clear goals, and trying new responses between meetings to reduce worry, low mood, or avoidance.She also draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which helps people notice hard feelings without getting stuck and commit to actions that matter to them. ACT is useful for coping with grief, chronic stress, and ongoing life changes. In addition, her client-centered work emphasizes listening and collaboration so people set goals that match their values.
Choosing an approach is a collaborative process. Donna will discuss goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t helped before. Together they decide which techniques to prioritize and adjust the plan as progress is reviewed.
Confirm the specific online session formats before booking, as the profile does not list them here. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, shorten travel time, and allow check-ins that focus on concrete problem-solving. Many people find that having weekly or biweekly skill practice between sessions helps skills stick, and that practical homework can be reviewed easily during remote meetings.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
35+ years
Listed in
New York
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she help with most often?
She helps with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship and intimacy issues, addiction, trauma, parenting challenges, ADHD, and LGBT-related concerns including gender dysphoria.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is practical and skills-focused. She emphasizes noticing thoughts and trying specific behavior changes between sessions.
What is her clinical background and experience?
She holds a master’s degree in counseling from the University of Rochester and has 35 years of experience in different mental health settings.
What credential and location information is provided?
She is a New York LMHC (licensed mental health counselor) based in New York.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Does she work with international clients?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are sessions priced?
Cost varies by location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin the process?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are not safe, use the crisis numbers.