Dr. Sandra Smith, LCSW

Dr. Sandra Smith brings 24 years of experience helping people navigate difficult life transitions, relationship struggles, trauma, and mental health challenges. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) - a credential that indicates advanced training in therapy and clinical social work - and maintains licensure in Utah and California. Her background spans counseling, coaching, and college-level teaching at both graduate and undergraduate levels, and she has worked in a wide range of settings from family and trauma-focused agencies to hospitals and correctional facilities.

Her clinical work includes service on crisis teams and in emergency departments, maternity units, labor and delivery, and neonatal intensive care units, as well as long-term work as a primary clinician in a prison setting supporting people with moderate to severe mental health needs. That breadth of experience informs a holistic approach to care that considers personal and relational history alongside physical, social, spiritual, financial, mental, and emotional factors that influence wellbeing.

Dr. Smith favors a warm, interactive counseling style grounded in respect, sensitivity, and compassion, and she avoids labeling or judgment. She partners with each person to understand specific concerns and tailors treatment to individual goals and preferences. Bilingual in English and Spanish and accepting international clients, she welcomes the opportunity to support others in finding more satisfaction and joy in their relationships, work, and daily life.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Support

Dr. Sandra Smith integrates several evidence-informed approaches to meet each person's needs. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify their values and build psychological flexibility by learning to accept difficult thoughts and emotions while taking action toward valued life goals - it is often useful for anxiety, stress, and life changes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and reshaping unhelpful thoughts and behaviors to reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other mood concerns and to improve coping skills. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a trauma-focused method that supports processing past traumatic memories and reducing their ongoing emotional impact.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Dr. Smith works collaboratively with each person to assess needs, goals, and preferences, and she adapts techniques so the chosen methods fit the individual rather than forcing a single model.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility - sessions can take place by video call or phone, and some work can continue through live chat or text-based messaging. This range of options helps people access care around work, family, and geographic constraints and supports continuity of treatment even when schedules or circumstances change.