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LS Portrait of Luciana Smalls
Online therapist

Luciana Smalls

Compassionate, practical counseling for everyday challenges

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Credentials
LPC
Experience
9 years
Licensed in
South Carolina
Languages
English
Format
Online sessions

About Luciana

Luciana Smalls is a Licensed Professional Counselor who uses a warm, practical style to help people manage stress, anxiety, depression, and life transitions. She draws on nine years of professional counseling experience and over two decades in human services to offer steady, skills-focused support.

Her approach feels both encouraging and direct so clients can learn tools that make a real difference in daily life. Luciana blends cognitive behavioral techniques with client-centered care to help people notice thought patterns, shift unhelpful habits, and build new coping skills.

Background and approach

She also integrates mindfulness and motivational interviewing to support motivation and emotional regulation. Sessions are tailored so each person leaves with concrete steps to try between meetings. She has worked with challenges including relationship difficulties, parenting concerns, adoption and foster care matters, addiction, ADHD, grief, and trauma.

Luciana also addresses issues like caregiver stress, blended family dynamics, communication problems, and end-of-life support in ways that are practical and down-to-earth. Her counseling style is respectful and culturally aware, with attention to sexual orientation and identity. Luciana collaborates with each person to develop a treatment plan that matches their goals and values.

She focuses on teaching skills that reduce overwhelm and increase confidence. People who choose her can expect a mix of encouragement, clear feedback, and actionable strategies. The aim is steady progress rather than quick fixes, with an emphasis on real-world changes that improve daily functioning.

Therapeutic approaches and how they work online

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on understanding each person's experience and creating a respectful, nonjudgmental space. The therapist listens closely and helps clients identify their own goals and steps to reach them, which can ease decision-making and build confidence.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and replace them with more helpful alternatives. It is practical and skill-based, often involving specific exercises to try between sessions that address anxiety, depression, or stress.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, teaches emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and clearer communication. These skills are useful when emotions feel overwhelming or when patterns of impulsivity or conflict repeat.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with each person about their needs, goals, and preferences and suggest methods that match those priorities. Together they try strategies and adjust the plan based on what works best in practice.

Online therapy offers flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit counseling into a busy schedule and to use different formats for skill practice and check-ins. Licensed professionals can adapt exercises and homework for whatever format someone prefers, allowing consistent progress even when attending sessions remotely.

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.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Concrete skills for riding out strong emotion, tolerating distress, and handling relationships without things escalating. The skills are practised in daily life, so between-session support by message or phone fits naturally.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does she address?
She works with a broad range of issues including stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and parenting concerns, addiction, trauma and grief, and ADHD.
How would you describe her therapy style?
Her style combines supportive, nurturing care with practical coaching and gentle challenge to help clients learn skills and make changes.
What background does she bring to sessions?
She brings nine years as a licensed counselor plus over 20 years in human services, giving her experience across many settings and client needs.
Where is she licensed to practice?
She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in South Carolina with licence SC LPC 7774.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different preferences and needs.
How are costs handled?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
To start, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to the therapist's availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Also works with

Therapeutic approaches

Experience
9 years
Licensed
South Carolina
Languages
English

Next step

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