Kathy Smith, LCSW, LICSW

Kathy Smith is a licensed clinical social worker with 40 years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, grief, and depression. She works with individuals facing major life changes and those feeling drained by caregiving or compassion fatigue. Kathy writes in a warm, straightforward way and encourages people to take the first step toward support. She treats each person with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. Kathy believes people are doing the best they can with the skills they have and that change is possible. Sessions focus on practical steps and clear goals rather than jargon. Kathy adapts conversation and plans to fit each person’s needs. That might mean learning ways to notice and manage difficult thoughts, practicing short mindfulness exercises, or setting small achievable goals. She uses tools from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and other approaches to guide the work. Over four decades Kathy has supported people through loss, midlife shifts, chronic illness, and caregiving stress. She also addresses family of origin issues, communication problems, feelings of emptiness, guilt, and shame. Her approach aims to help people find more steady footing in daily life. Kathy is licensed in North Dakota and Minnesota as an LCSW and LICSW. She invites people to start with a simple conversation to see if her style feels like a good fit for their needs.

How Kathy uses proven approaches online

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them. It focuses on identifying values and taking small actions toward what matters, which can be helpful for anxiety, grief, and life changes.

Client-Centered Therapy centers on a supportive, respectful conversation. The therapist listens deeply and follows the pace the person sets, which can help people feel heard and begin to try new ways of coping.

Kathy will work with each person to figure out which approach fits best. She treats finding the right method as a team process - listening to goals, trying tools, and adjusting as needed so the work feels useful and manageable.

Confirm current session options before booking to know which online formats are offered. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, avoid travel time, and choose quieter surroundings that work for you. Some formats are better for shorter check-ins or when camera use is not preferred, so check the available options and select what fits your routine.