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CS Portrait of Cortney (Bota) Smith
Online therapist

Cortney (Bota) Smith

Practical, person-centered help for parents and adults

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Credentials
LMHC
Experience
11 years
Licensed in
New York
Languages
English
Format
Online sessions

About Cortney

Cortney (Bota) Smith practices a person-centered style of therapy that focuses on meeting each client where they are. She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, LMHC, and brings 11 years of clinical experience to her work. Her approach emphasizes clear goals and practical steps tailored to each person's needs.

Parents and caregivers looking for straightforward guidance often find this helpful. She has spent much of her career in community clinic settings offering face-to-face care before moving much of her practice online.

Background and approach

Over the years she has supported people dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, substance-related concerns, trauma, grief, and anger. She also addresses relationship and intimacy questions, sleep problems, parenting stress, self-esteem, career shifts, and other life changes. Cortney combines Client-Centered Therapy with Solution-Focused Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques.

Sessions typically start by identifying concrete goals and small steps toward them. She guides clients through practical tools, but she keeps the client's priorities central to the process. Her training includes a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling, plus about 1,000 clinical internship hours in varied placements.

Cortney keeps a direct, respectful tone in sessions and aims to help people arrive at their own solutions. Office hours are currently Monday 9am to 2pm and Wednesday 9am to 3pm Eastern Time, with occasional evening appointments when possible. She works from New York and conducts sessions in English.

Practical approaches for online family and parenting support

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing them with real-life experiments. It helps with anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and predictable reactions to stress by giving simple strategies to try between sessions.

Client-Centered Therapy prioritizes the person's own goals and pace. The therapist listens, reflects, and follows what matters most to the client so the work stays relevant and respectful.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Cortney will collaborate with each person to decide which methods fit their goals and preferences, and she will adjust techniques over time based on how things are going.

Online therapy offers flexible access through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. These options let people fit therapy into busy schedules, get support from home, and use brief check-ins or longer sessions as needed. The variety of formats can make it easier to practice new skills and keep momentum between appointments.

Client-Centered Therapy

The direction comes from you rather than from a set programme. The therapist offers a warm, non-judgemental space to think out loud and work at your own pace. Online, this rests on the relationship rather than on being in the same room.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT looks at the link between what you think, how you feel, and what you do. You work on noticing unhelpful patterns and practising steadier responses. It suits online sessions well, because much of the work happens between appointments and can be talked through from anywhere.

Motivational Interviewing

A way of working through mixed feelings about change without being pushed. The therapist helps you weigh things up and find your own reasons, which often makes a difficult decision feel less stuck.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does she address?
Cortney works with a wide range of issues including stress, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, addictions, trauma and abuse, grief, anger, relationship and intimacy problems, sleeping difficulties, parenting concerns, self-esteem, career challenges, and coping with life changes.
What is her therapy style like?
Her style is person-centered and collaborative. She uses solution-focused steps and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques to set goals and practice practical skills between sessions.
What kind of experience does she have?
She has practiced as a mental health therapist for 11 years, with extensive time in community clinic settings and substantial clinical internship experience totaling about 1,000 hours.
Where is she licensed and based?
She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, LMHC, with NY LMHC number 007249 and is based in New York.
In which language are sessions offered?
Sessions are offered in English only.
Are international clients supported?
International clients are not currently accepted; services are provided to clients within the therapist's permitted regions.
What formats are available for sessions?
Sessions can be conducted via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging depending on what works best for the client.
How are fees handled and how do I begin?
Costs vary by location and therapist availability and use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time. To start, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Also works with

Therapeutic approaches

Experience
11 years
Licensed
New York
Languages
English

Next step

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