Ron Smith, LMHC

Ron Smith is an ordained minister who holds two master’s degrees - one in counseling and one in ministry - and he is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC). He has provided mental health counseling since 1988 and brings decades of experience addressing complex behavioral and relational concerns. His clinical focus includes sexual acting-out behaviors and sex addiction, chemical dependency and drug and alcohol addiction, anger outbursts and control issues, process addictions such as pornography, exercise, and gambling, and interventions related to domestic violence and batterers intervention.

Ron has presented at national conferences and led numerous workshops on effective treatment and intervention for adults with sexual maladaptive behaviors. He has also designed and written residential and outpatient treatment programs tailored to adults struggling with sexual acting-out behaviors and related addictions. In addition to addiction and anger work, he offers counseling for spiritual development, guilt and shame, life purpose, and challenges common to men seeking to strengthen intimate relationships.

Ron’s therapy style is warm, interactive, open minded and nonjudgmental. Clients are treated with respect, sensitivity, and compassion while being challenged and empowered to address their treatment needs. His clinical approach draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Rational-Emotive Therapy (RET), and biblical reference when appropriate, integrating practical strategies with the client’s values and goals.

Integrating CBT and Motivational Interviewing in Online Care

Ron Smith uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients identify and change unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns. CBT is a practical, skills-based approach that can be effective for managing anger, addictive behaviors, and the patterns that maintain them. Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative, goal-oriented method that helps people explore their own motivations for change and strengthen commitment to recovery - it is often useful for addressing substance use, sex addiction, and other compulsive behaviors.

Finding the right therapeutic approach is part of the process, and Ron Smith works collaboratively with each client to determine what fits their needs, goals, and preferences. He combines evidence-based techniques with attention to spiritual concerns and personal values when that is relevant, adapting methods as progress is made.

Online therapy with Ron is offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, giving clients flexibility to engage in care from different locations and at different times. These options make it easier to maintain continuity of treatment, schedule follow-ups, and access licensed professionals when in-person visits are not feasible, while preserving the therapeutic connection and practical focus of the work.