About Donna
Donna Smith is a licensed mental health counselor with 35 years of experience based in New York. She helps people cope with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, addictions, trauma, ADHD, and relationship or intimacy concerns. Donna offers a calm, steady presence and focuses on practical steps that make daily life easier.
Her approach centers on partnering with each person to find what works for them. Sessions are conversational and down-to-earth. She listens for patterns that keep someone stuck and suggests simple tools to try between meetings.
Background and approach
Donna blends a few different approaches to tailor care. She uses elements of acceptance and commitment work to help people notice their values and take small actions toward them. Cognitive-behavioral strategies are used to identify unhelpful thoughts and practice realistic coping skills.
Client-centered ideas guide how she builds trust and follows the client's pace. Over her career Donna has worked in a variety of mental health settings and now focuses on one-on-one work. She often weaves creative writing and reflective exercises into sessions when that fits a person's goals.
The tone in sessions is warm, nonjudgmental, and respectful of each person's story. People who reach out can expect to set clear, manageable goals and to practice new habits between meetings. Donna aims to be a companion on the journey rather than an authority, helping people move toward the life they imagine.
Approaches in Online Sessions and What They Do
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify their values and take small actions toward what matters, even when feelings are difficult. It can be helpful for anxiety, stress, and life transitions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on spotting unhelpful thoughts and trying different behaviors to reduce distress and improve mood. It often helps with anxiety, depression, and coping skills. Client-Centered Therapy centers the person's own goals and experience, with the therapist offering empathetic listening and gentle guidance to build trust and self-directed change.Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, try methods that fit those goals, and adjust the plan over time. Together they decide which techniques to focus on and how to practice new skills between sessions.
Online sessions can be delivered by video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different needs. Video lets people read facial expressions and use visual tools. Phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or when someone prefers not to be on camera. Live chat and text messaging are useful for brief check-ins, daily skill practice, or fitting support into a busy schedule. These options make it easier to keep consistent meetings and to use therapy in real-life moments.
Questions people ask
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What this therapist works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Addictions
- ADHD
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Anger management
- Attachment issues
- Bipolar disorder
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Dependent personality
- Depression
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Divorce and separation
- Emptiness
- Family conflicts
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Gender dysphoria
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Mood disorders
- Narcissism
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Parenting issues
- Personality disorders
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 35 years
- Licensed
- New York
- Languages
- English
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