Willow Wakeley-Smith, LCSW
Compassionate, story-focused care for everyday struggles
Details
| Name | Willow Wakeley-Smith |
|---|---|
| Credentials | LCSW |
| Based in | Missouri |
| Licensed in | Missouri |
| Session format | Online |
| Languages | English |
| Years in practice | 5 |
About Willow
Willow Wakeley-Smith is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression, ADHD, and parenting challenges. She uses straightforward, respectful care and adapts plans to each person's needs. Willow aims for practical progress that shows up in daily life.
Willow draws on Narrative Therapy to help people reframe the stories they tell about themselves. She also uses Client-Centered methods to keep sessions focused on the client's priorities.
Background and approach
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy offers tools for changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. Her background includes five years of clinical work with adults and more than a decade of professional experience working with children in schools. That school-based work informs her understanding of parenting stress and support around disabilities.
Willow works with people facing mood disorders, trauma and abuse, grief, addiction concerns, relationship and communication problems, and challenges related to gender identity and LGBT issues. She also helps with sleep problems, obsessions and compulsions, hoarding, and life transitions. Sessions are shaped to fit each client's goals and can include practical strategies, mindfulness practices, and communication skills.
Willow listens for strengths and builds on them, adjusting the plan as progress unfolds.
What this therapist works with
Her listing names Stress, Anxiety, Parenting issues, Bipolar disorder among the things Willow works with, alongside the areas below.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Parenting issues
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- ADHD
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Sleeping disorders
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Coping with life changes
- Compassion fatigue
- Adoption and foster care
- Antisocial personality
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Family problems
- Gender dysphoria
- Hoarding
- Impulsivity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Personality disorders
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches listed
- Narrative Therapy: Named in her listing among her approaches.
- Client-Centered Therapy: Listed by Willow among the ways she works.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Listed by Willow among the ways she works.
- Gottman Method: Listed by Willow among the ways she works.
- Mindfulness Therapy: Listed by Willow among the ways she works.
- Motivational Interviewing: Listed by Willow among the ways she works.
- Solution-Focused Therapy: Listed by Willow among the ways she works.
- Trauma-Focused Therapy: Listed by Willow among the ways she works.
- Training stated: This directory copies the approaches a therapist names and does not check training records. Ask Willow 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 Willow directly how she uses it and what a session usually looks like.
Online session options
How narrative and practical approaches work online
Willow uses Narrative Therapy to help people examine and rewrite the stories that shape their feelings and choices. This approach is useful for work on identity, life transitions, and issues like gender dysphoria or relationship patterns. It focuses on separating the person from the problem and finding alternative storylines.She also uses Client-Centered Therapy to keep sessions grounded in the client's priorities, offering a listening, nonjudgmental space. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy provides concrete tools to change thinking and behavior, which can help with anxiety, depression, ADHD challenges, and sleep difficulties.
Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Willow will discuss goals, try methods that fit your needs, and adjust the plan as progress is made. She encourages clients to give feedback so therapy stays useful and practical.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video calls let you use visual cues for deep conversation. Phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or you prefer not to be on camera. Live chat and messaging are useful for shorter check-ins, daily coaching, or when flexibility is needed during a busy week.
These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, caregiving, or school schedules and let people choose the format that helps them engage most effectively.
Common questions about this listing
What concerns does Willow address?
She helps people with stress, anxiety, depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder, addictions, grief, trauma and abuse, self-esteem, sleep problems, and parenting challenges.
How would you describe her therapy style?
Willow blends Narrative Therapy with client-centered listening and CBT techniques to reframe stories, prioritize what matters to the client, and teach coping skills.
What is her clinical background?
She has five years of clinical experience working with adults and more than ten years of professional experience in school settings supporting children and parents.
What credentials and location apply?
Willow holds a Licensed Clinical Social Worker credential - LCSW - and practices in Missouri.
Which languages are supported and can international clients join?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not accepting international clients at this time.
What session formats are available?
She meets via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to suit different schedules and preferences.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin therapy with Willow?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions according to therapist availability.
Contacting this therapist
Sessions with Willow 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 Willow where she has space. Ask about fees, and whether she holds a licence or registration where you live.
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