Dr. Carol Schmidt, LCSW

Dr. Carol Schmidt is a California Licensed Clinical Social Worker who brings a warm, approachable style to therapy and a decade of professional experience supporting adults and families through stress, anxiety, grief, relationship conflict, and major life changes. She trained with an MSW - a Master of Social Work - from UCLA and earned a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from USC, combining clinical social work expertise with advanced psychological training to tailor care to each person’s needs.

Working from an integrative framework, she draws on client-centered methods that prioritize the individual’s perspective, cognitive behavioral strategies to address unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, and psychodynamic ideas that explore patterns rooted in past experience. Dr. Schmidt aims to improve awareness of strengths, clarify values and goals, and develop practical skills for managing mood, relationships, parenting challenges, trauma responses, and work-related stress.

She emphasizes a collaborative therapeutic relationship in which therapist and client work as a team to set goals and measure progress. Whether someone is navigating grief, reassessing family roles, managing symptoms of depression or anxiety, or addressing intimacy and parenting concerns, Dr. Schmidt offers evidence-informed approaches delivered with compassion and professional experience to help clients move toward greater life satisfaction.

Integrative Approaches and Online Care

Dr. Schmidt uses client-centered therapy to create a respectful, nonjudgmental space where the client's perspective guides the work - this approach supports people coping with life transitions, relationship concerns, and identity questions by focusing on individual values and strengths. She also applies Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which identifies patterns of thinking and behavior that contribute to distress and teaches practical strategies for change; CBT is effective for anxiety, depression, panic, and many everyday stressors. Psychodynamic therapy is used to explore recurring relationship patterns and early influences that shape current reactions, helping clients gain insight into long-standing difficulties and improve emotional understanding.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Dr. Schmidt collaborates with each client to assess needs, clarify goals, and adapt methods so the plan fits personal preferences and life circumstances. This collaborative stance helps determine whether short-term skill work, deeper insight-oriented work, or a blend of both will be most helpful.

Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, offering flexibility for busy schedules and those who prefer remote care. These formats make it easier to maintain continuity of care, fit sessions into daily life, and access support from a licensed professional without the need to travel.