Dr. Rita Smith, MD, LCPC, LPC

Dr. Rita Smith is a Georgia-based counselor with 25 years of experience helping individuals, couples, and families create more meaningful, enjoyable lives. She has worked across a range of settings including community agencies, universities, private practice, and military installations, bringing a breadth of experience to each therapeutic relationship. Her work emphasizes practical change and restored wholeness, and she draws on a variety of evidence-based techniques to meet clients where they are and support measurable steps forward.

Her approach blends client-centered care with cognitive behavioral strategies and solution-focused methods, adapting interventions to the needs of each person or family. Areas of focus include stress and anxiety, relationship and family concerns, career and workplace issues, self-esteem, trauma and grief, parenting and intimacy-related matters, and a range of life transitions. She also addresses communication problems, commitment and infidelity concerns, divorce and separation, isolation and loneliness, and veteran and armed forces issues.

Her listed credentials include MD, LCPC, and LPC, and she is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor. In plain terms, MD indicates a medical degree, LCPC stands for Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, and LPC indicates Licensed Professional Counselor. Across decades of practice she aims to create a collaborative, respectful space where clients can clarify goals, build skills, and move toward greater well-being.

Practical Therapeutic Approaches for Online Care

Dr. Rita Smith combines client-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and solution-focused methods to tailor care to each person's needs. Client-centered therapy centers on providing empathic, nonjudgmental support that helps people explore their values and goals and is useful for relationship concerns, self-esteem, and life transitions. Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on identifying and shifting unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, which can be effective for anxiety, depression, and stress management. Solution-focused therapy emphasizes practical, short-term strategies to build on existing strengths and move quickly toward concrete goals, often helping with coping during change and improving communication.

Choosing the right approach is part of the collaborative work between therapist and client. Dr. Smith will discuss goals, preferences, and life context to determine which combination of methods fits best and will adjust the plan as progress unfolds.

Online sessions are offered via video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility for busy schedules and varied comfort levels. These options make it easier to access licensed professionals from different locations and to continue care during transitions, while allowing therapy to fit around work, family, and other commitments.