PuttingFamilyFirst

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DS Portrait of Delores Smith
Online therapist

Delores Smith

Calm guidance for family and relationship concerns

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Credentials
LCSW
Experience
47 years
Licensed in
Virginia
Languages
English
Format
Online sessions

About Delores

Delores Smith is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with a long track record helping people navigate family and parenting concerns alongside emotional struggles. She focuses on practical steps that parents and partners can use at home. Her style is straightforward and respectful, aiming to meet each person where they are.

She brings 47 years of experience to sessions and uses familiar, hands-on methods rather than jargon. Conversations center on decisions, daily routines, and small changes that add up.

Background and approach

Delores pays attention to relationship patterns and communication, and she helps people spot what is keeping them stuck. Delores blends several therapies to fit each person. She draws from cognitive behavioral techniques to change unhelpful thinking and from mindfulness to build calm and attention.

She also uses client-centered approaches to create a space where people feel heard. In sessions she emphasizes clear goals and realistic steps. That might mean practicing new ways to talk with a partner, setting boundaries at work, or managing strong emotions.

She encourages steady progress at a pace the client chooses. Her approach also addresses complex topics such as grief, addiction, ADHD, and trauma-related stress like coping with natural or human-caused disasters. She helps with separation and divorce issues, forgiveness work, and concerns about intimacy and trust.

Overall, the aim is practical change and better day-to-day functioning.

Therapeutic approaches and how they work online

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings without letting them drive behavior. It focuses on values and small committed actions that move a person toward what matters, which can be useful for anxiety, depression, and coping with life changes.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) teaches practical skills to change unhelpful thinking and behavior. It breaks problems into manageable steps and provides exercises to practice between sessions, helping with stress, mood, and relationship patterns.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Delores will talk with the client about goals and preferences and shape sessions around what feels most useful. That collaborative process helps pick techniques from ACT, CBT, or client-centered care as needed.

Online therapy offers flexibility for people balancing family and parenting responsibilities. Video calls allow face-to-face interaction, phone sessions remove travel needs, and live chat or text-based messaging provide shorter, on-the-go check-ins. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules and to continue steady progress without added logistics.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Less about arguing with difficult thoughts, more about loosening their grip and acting on what matters to you anyway. Values and committed action carry the work, which suits conversation at a distance.

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.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of problems does she address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship and family issues, addictions, self-esteem, and related topics like infidelity, communication problems, and coping with life changes.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her style combines practical skill-building with empathic listening. She focuses on clear goals, helpful behaviors, and changes clients can try between sessions.
How much experience does she have?
Delores has 47 years of professional experience working in social work and clinical practice.
What are her credentials and where is she licensed?
She is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with license VA LCSW 0904001262 and practices in Virginia.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats does she provide?
Sessions can be held via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging.
How are fees and billing handled?
Costs vary with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I start working with her?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling according to therapist availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Also works with

Therapeutic approaches

Experience
47 years
Licensed
Virginia
Languages
English

Next step

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