- Thoughts and habits
- Strengths-based
- Practical skills
About Kristen
Kristen Smith is a licensed mental health counselor in Florida with 27 years of experience. She focuses on practical help for people facing addiction, relationship strain, trauma and abuse, depression, anxiety, and everyday stress. Kristen emphasizes each person's strengths and views clients as experts on their own lives. She offers steady support while people take steps toward clearer goals.
Her style is down-to-earth and collaborative. Sessions focus on real problems and simple, repeatable skills that fit into daily life. Kristen uses approaches that help people change unhelpful thoughts and develop better habits. She also works with issues like grief, intimacy concerns, sleep and eating problems, and challenges related to ADHD and compassion fatigue.
Over her career she has helped people manage life changes such as divorce, caregiving strain, adoption and foster care issues, and career transitions. She often addresses patterns tied to family of origin, attachment, abandonment, and codependency. Practical coping strategies and steady emotional support are common themes in her work.
People who choose Kristen typically want straightforward tools and a calm, respectful listener. She draws from client-centered methods and evidence-informed skills to tailor work to each person's needs. Kristen aims to help clients build routines that reduce distress and increase a sense of control.
Sessions are conducted in English and work within Florida practice rules. The focus is on short-term goals and longer-term change based on what each person wants to achieve.
Her style is down-to-earth and collaborative. Sessions focus on real problems and simple, repeatable skills that fit into daily life. Kristen uses approaches that help people change unhelpful thoughts and develop better habits. She also works with issues like grief, intimacy concerns, sleep and eating problems, and challenges related to ADHD and compassion fatigue.
Over her career she has helped people manage life changes such as divorce, caregiving strain, adoption and foster care issues, and career transitions. She often addresses patterns tied to family of origin, attachment, abandonment, and codependency. Practical coping strategies and steady emotional support are common themes in her work.
People who choose Kristen typically want straightforward tools and a calm, respectful listener. She draws from client-centered methods and evidence-informed skills to tailor work to each person's needs. Kristen aims to help clients build routines that reduce distress and increase a sense of control.
Sessions are conducted in English and work within Florida practice rules. The focus is on short-term goals and longer-term change based on what each person wants to achieve.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Stress, AnxietyLGBTFamily conflictsGriefEating disordersSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD
Additional focus areas
AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeAvoidant personalityBody imageCaregiver issues and stressCodependencyControl issuesDependent personalityDissociationDivorce and separationEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFirst responder issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameHospice and end-of-life counselingImpulsivityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMidlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMoney and financial issuesMood disordersObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPersonality disordersPhobiasPost-traumatic stressSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSexual assault and abuseSexualitySocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Experience
27+ years
Credentials
Florida
Languages
English
How her approaches translate to online work
Kristen uses client-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) in ways that translate well to remote sessions. Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and reflecting so clients feel understood and guided toward their own answers. CBT targets specific thought patterns and everyday habits, teaching practical exercises people can use between sessions to shift thinking and behavior. DBT offers skills for managing intense emotions, improving distress tolerance, and strengthening interpersonal effectiveness.Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Kristen will work with clients to decide which methods fit their goals and daily life. She tailors techniques to what each person finds most helpful, revisiting the plan as progress is made.
Confirm the available session formats before booking, as format options are not specified here. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules, allow for shorter check-ins when needed, and let clients practice skills in real-world settings. Talk with the therapist about scheduling and how sessions can be arranged to match your routine.
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Kristen address?
She works with a wide range of issues including addictions, relationship and intimacy concerns, trauma and abuse, depression, anxiety, grief, sleep and eating issues, and ADHD-related struggles.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is collaborative and practical, focusing on everyday habits and thought patterns while centering the client's own goals and strengths.
What is her professional background?
She has 27 years of professional experience supporting people through life changes, coping challenges, and long-standing patterns tied to family and attachment.
What are her credentials and where does she practice?
She is a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) practicing in Florida; the license is listed as FL LMHC.
Which languages are offered for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Does she work with clients outside the United States?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are sessions arranged and what does cost look like?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.