Lesley Smith, LCMHC
Compassionate Narrative-informed counseling
Details
| Name | Lesley Smith |
|---|---|
| Credentials | LCMHC |
| Based in | North Carolina |
| Licensed in | North Carolina |
| Session format | Online |
| Languages | English |
| Years in practice | 25 |
About Lesley
Lesley Smith is a licensed clinical mental health counselor with 25 years of experience. She works from a Narrative-informed perspective and helps people untangle stressful patterns and make practical changes. Her style is warm and straightforward, aimed at helping people feel more capable and clear about next steps.
Lesley often focuses on stress, anxiety, depression, and self-esteem. She supports people facing relationship strain, career shifts, grief, and the fallout of trauma and abuse.
Background and approach
She also helps with mood disorder concerns such as bipolar disorder and the everyday struggles that come with caregiving and compassion fatigue. Her sessions put the client’s story at the center. She uses Narrative Therapy to help people separate themselves from problems and see new possibilities.
She blends that with tools from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to build practical skills for daily life. Lesley pays attention to attachment issues, communication difficulties, and concerns like body image, guilt, and loneliness. She offers coaching-style support for people working on life purpose, finances, or decisions such as divorce and separation.
Meetings are focused on clear steps and real-world coping strategies. She holds the LCMHC credential, which indicates a licensed clinical mental health counselor. Lesley practices in North Carolina and conducts sessions in English.
Getting started includes a short matching questionnaire and scheduling a session that fits the client’s needs.
What this therapist works with
Her listing names Stress, Anxiety, Relationship issues, Self esteem among the things Lesley works with, alongside the areas below.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
- Depression
- Coaching
- LGBT
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Anger management
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Compassion fatigue
- Attachment issues
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Dependent personality
- Divorce and separation
- Emptiness
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Postpartum depression
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Self-love
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches listed
- Narrative Therapy: Named in her listing among her approaches.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Listed by Lesley among the ways she works.
- Attachment-Based Therapy: Listed by Lesley among the ways she works.
- Client-Centered Therapy: Listed by Lesley among the ways she works.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Listed by Lesley among the ways she works.
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT): Listed by Lesley among the ways she works.
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): Listed by Lesley among the ways she works.
- Gottman Method: Listed by Lesley among the ways she works.
- Imago Relationship Therapy: Listed by Lesley among the ways she works.
- Motivational Interviewing: Listed by Lesley among the ways she works.
- Solution-Focused Therapy: Listed by Lesley among the ways she works.
- Trauma-Focused Therapy: Listed by Lesley among the ways she works.
- Internal Family Systems: Listed by Lesley among the ways she works.
- Training stated: This directory copies the approaches a therapist names and does not check training records. Ask Lesley directly how much of the work is narrative and what a session usually looks like.
Narrative Therapy in this listing
Narrative Therapy appears in this therapist's own list of approaches. That tells you it is part of how she works. It does not tell you how much of a session it shapes, and this directory does not check or rate training.
If a narrative approach is what you are looking for, it is worth asking Lesley directly how she uses it and what a session usually looks like.
Online session options
How Narrative and ACT fit into online care
Lesley uses Narrative Therapy to help people tell and reshape the stories that shape their daily life. This approach helps separate problems from the person and opens up new ways of seeing choices and strengths. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is also part of her work and focuses on clarifying values, accepting difficult feelings, and taking committed action toward a meaningful life. Attachment-Based ideas inform how she looks at patterns in close relationships and how they affect reactions to stress and communication.Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Lesley will listen to what matters most, try different strategies, and together decide which tools fit a person’s goals and preferences. Clients are encouraged to give feedback so methods can be adjusted as needed.
Online sessions offer flexibility for people with busy lives. Video calls create a face-to-face feel for deeper conversations. Phone sessions can be used when bandwidth or screen time is limited. Live chat and text-based messaging are useful for quick check-ins, continued reflection between meetings, or when shorter, written exchanges work better for the person. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, caregiving, or travel schedules.
Common questions about this listing
What concerns does Lesley commonly address?
She helps people with stress, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, relationship strain, grief, trauma and abuse, and career or life-change challenges.
How does she approach therapy?
Her approach centers on Narrative Therapy combined with client-centered methods and practical techniques from ACT and CBT to reframe problems and build everyday skills.
What background and experience informs her work?
Lesley brings 25 years of professional experience supporting people through mood issues, caregiving stress, attachment concerns, and major life transitions.
What credentials and location should I know about?
She holds the LCMHC credential, which is a licensed clinical mental health counselor credential, and she practices in North Carolina.
Are sessions offered in other languages or internationally?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not accepting international clients at this time.
Which session formats are available?
People can meet by video call, phone session, live chat, or text-based messaging depending on what fits their needs.
How is cost handled for sessions?
Costs vary by location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the first steps to begin therapy?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist’s availability.
Contacting this therapist
Sessions with Lesley are arranged through our partner platform. It asks a few questions about what you are looking for, then shows you the therapists available to you, including Lesley where she has space. Ask about fees, and whether she holds a licence or registration where you live.
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