Profile / United States
Phyllis Smith, LMFT
North Carolina
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist - Relationships and Stress
See online therapy options- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Client-Centered work
- Mindfulness practices
About Phyllis
Phyllis Smith is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) practicing in North Carolina with five years of experience. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, relationships, parenting, depression, addictions, trauma, grief, intimacy issues, anger, self-esteem, career questions, bipolar concerns, ADHD, and related family matters. She offers direct, practical help aimed at shifting thoughts and behaviors that get in the way of daily functioning.
Phyllis takes a collaborative, strengths-based approach. She asks about clients' goals and values, then uses clear strategies to test new ways of thinking and acting. Sessions focus on identifying patterns in relationships and everyday routines, then trying concrete changes that fit each person’s life.
Her work draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Client-Centered methods alongside existential ideas, mindfulness practices, and the Gottman Method for relationship work. She helps people notice habits that keep problems going and then practices small experiments to change them. Meetings are goal-focused and paced to what the client can manage.
Phyllis has experience with diverse backgrounds and identities across age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity. She emphasizes practical steps that build on a person’s existing strengths. She also addresses family-of-origin issues, attachment and abandonment concerns, blended family dynamics, caregiver stress, communication problems, and coping after loss or disaster.
People who prefer structured conversations about thoughts and actions, combined with attention to relationships and meaning, tend to find her approach clear and useful.
How her approaches translate to online sessions
Phyllis commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Client-Centered Therapy, and she brings mindfulness into session work. CBT focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors with simple exercises. It helps with anxiety, mood, and patterns that affect daily functioning. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes listening and understanding a person’s goals, which helps clarify what matters and why change feels important. Mindfulness practice teaches attention skills that reduce reactivity and improve coping with stress.Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. She will discuss goals, preferences, and practical needs, then recommend starting points and adjust as progress is seen. The decision about which methods to try is collaborative and may shift over time based on what helps most.
Session format details are not specified in the biography, so confirm current options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life - for example by reducing travel time, allowing a shorter check-in during a break, or enabling a session when leaving home is difficult. Talk with her about what will fit your schedule and how to structure visits around daily responsibilities.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
5+ years
Listed in
North Carolina
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she commonly address?
She works with stress, anxiety, relationship and parenting concerns, depression, addictions, trauma and related family issues.
How does she use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
She uses CBT to help people identify unhelpful thoughts and test different behaviors through small practical experiments.
What other therapy styles does she use?
She combines client-centered listening with elements of existential thinking, mindfulness, and the Gottman Method for relationship work.
What is her professional background?
She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with five years of experience working with diverse clients.
Where does she practice and what languages are supported?
She practices in North Carolina and sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the US work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are fees handled?
Cost varies by location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin a first session?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the 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.