Emily Smith

Emily Smith is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) practicing in Illinois with 15 years of experience. She focuses on stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, self-esteem, and bipolar concerns, and she also addresses life purpose questions and midlife concerns.

Emily uses a positive psychology and relational approach in sessions. She works collaboratively with people, keeping communication direct and transparent. Sessions often include mindfulness exercises to increase awareness of emotions, thoughts, and behavior.

She encourages clients to build self-acceptance and to notice patterns in how they relate to others. That attention to relational and emotional patterns guides much of the work in the room. Practical tools and exercises are used alongside reflection to support changes in feelings and actions.

Emily also has experience supporting people who are survivors of high-control groups, abusive relationships or communities, and spiritual trauma. Her background includes work with mood disorders such as bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress, personality disorders, and substance use concerns.

Her approach blends positive psychology, aspects of acceptance-based methods, movement-based therapy, substance use counseling strategies, and relational work. People who come feeling stuck about work, life direction, or purpose will find conversations focused on insight, awareness, and concrete next steps.

How her approaches translate to online work

Emily integrates positive psychology and acceptance-based methods into her sessions. Positive psychology focuses on identifying strengths, values, and small practical steps that increase satisfaction and direction. Acceptance-based techniques help people notice difficult thoughts and emotions without getting pushed into reactive behavior, which can be useful for anxiety, mood concerns, and trauma responses.

She also uses movement-informed methods to increase bodily awareness and regulation. These movement approaches bring attention to how the body holds stress and can support emotional regulation when paired with talk-based work.

Finding the right combination of methods is part of the work. She will collaborate with each person to choose approaches that match their goals, preferences, and the issues they bring. That means adjusting exercises, pacing, and tools so they feel workable in everyday life.

The original biography does not specify which session formats are offered online. Confirm the available session formats before booking. In general, online sessions can make it easier to fit check-ins into a busy day, reduce travel time, and allow shorter focused meetings or longer therapy slots when needed. Licensed professionals can adapt mindfulness practices, acceptance exercises, and movement-informed tasks to remote sessions so clients can continue progress even when schedules are tight.