Dr. Avis Smith
Compassionate, goal-focused counseling for real life
- Credentials
- LPC
- Experience
- 15 years
- Licensed in
- Texas
- Languages
- English
- Format
- Online sessions
About Avis
Dr. Avis Smith is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with 15 years of experience in the mental health field. She trained through a doctoral program at Texas Southern University and holds a master’s degree from the University of Houston-Victoria and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston.
Based in Texas, she draws on a range of settings experience including educational, outpatient, residential, and in-home work. Her background supports a practical, goal-focused way of working with concerns related to family and parenting among other stressors.
Background and approach
Dr. Smith prefers straightforward, supportive sessions. She focuses on what can be done now, and works with people to set small, achievable goals.
Her style is warm and collaborative, aiming to make each person comfortable while they address difficult topics. She often uses Solution-Focused Therapy to keep momentum toward concrete change. During a typical meeting she listens for strengths and past successes, then helps clients build simple steps to reach their goals.
Sessions may include communication practice, short-term problem solving, and steps to reduce day-to-day stress. She emphasizes practical progress rather than long lists of tasks. Her interests include stress, anxiety, relationships, trauma and abuse, self-esteem, and coping with life changes.
Additional focus areas include attachment issues, blended family issues, communication problems, and women's issues. Dr. Smith also addresses concerns like compassion fatigue, career shifts, and intimacy-related matters.
People who prefer clear goals and a forward-looking plan may find her approach helpful. She partners with clients to set realistic targets and tracks small improvements over time. The work is focused, accessible, and tailored to individual needs.
How solution-focused work adapts to online therapy
Solution-Focused Therapy centers on small, practical steps toward change and emphasizes the client’s strengths and past successes. It pays attention to what already works and builds brief, doable actions to move toward specific goals. This approach suits issues like stress, communication problems, relationship concerns, and navigating life changes.Online sessions let Dr. Smith use the same short-term, goal-driven process as in-person work. The two of you will collaborate to pick strategies that fit your daily life and priorities. She will help you decide which methods to try and adjust them based on how they work for you, so approach and pace are chosen together.
Practical benefits of online therapy include flexible scheduling and multiple ways to meet. Options include video calls for face-to-face conversation, phone sessions when video is not possible, and live chat or text-based messaging for brief check-ins or organizing next steps. These formats make it easier to keep continuity when life is busy and to apply changes in real time.
Solution-Focused Therapy
Rather than examining the problem at length, this looks at what is already working and builds on it. Sessions tend to be practical and forward-looking, with small achievable steps, which translates readily to shorter online conversations.
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she address?
What is her therapeutic style?
What is her experience background?
What credentials and location are listed?
Which languages are offered for sessions?
Can international clients work with her?
What session formats are available?
How are costs and scheduling handled?
Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
- Stress, Anxiety
- Family conflicts
- Parenting issues
Also works with
- Anger management
- Attachment issues
- Blended family issues
- Cancer
- Career difficulties
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Forgiveness
- Intimacy-related issues
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Trauma and abuse
- Women's issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 15 years
- Licensed
- Texas
- Languages
- English
Next step
Talk to Avis
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