PuttingFamilyFirst

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SS Portrait of Shanua Smith
Online therapist

Shanua Smith

Experienced South Dakota therapist for family challenges

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Credentials
LPC-MH
Experience
19 years
Licensed in
South Dakota
Languages
English
Format
Online sessions

About Shanua

Shanua Smith is a licensed therapist practicing in South Dakota. She brings 19 years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, and relationship difficulties. Shanua uses straightforward talk, listening, and practical steps to help clients find relief and build coping skills.

Her sessions focus on real problems parents and adults face. She works on sleeping and eating struggles, intimacy and communication problems, addictive behaviors, and self-esteem challenges.

Background and approach

Shanua also supports people dealing with career stress, bipolar mood patterns, compassion fatigue, and life changes. Shanua blends several evidence-informed methods to match each person’s needs. She leans on Client-Centered Therapy to create an accepting space, uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, and employs EMDR and Trauma-Focused Therapy when trauma is central.

Motivational Interviewing is part of her work when people need help moving toward change. Sessions are practical and collaborative. Shanua helps clients set clear goals, practices new ways of coping, and breaks larger problems into manageable steps.

She explains techniques in plain language and checks in about what’s working. Shanua holds the LPC-MH credential, which stands for Licensed Professional Counselor - Mental Health. Her background and methods are intended to support people through parenting concerns, relationship stresses, and other life challenges with steady, experienced guidance.

Therapeutic approaches and online care

Shanua commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Trauma-Focused approaches in her online work. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, helps people notice and change thoughts and behaviors that make stress, anxiety, or depression worse. Trauma-Focused Therapy and EMDR focus on processing painful memories and reducing the ways trauma continues to affect daily life.

She approaches online care collaboratively. Finding the right method is part of the first conversations. The therapist and client review goals, preferences, and the concern at hand, then choose or adapt methods together so the work fits the person’s needs.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit sessions into busy schedules, allow follow-up between meetings, and let people access therapy from where they live in South Dakota. The mix of approaches and flexible session types helps tailor care to what matters most for each client.

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.

EMDR

A structured protocol used with distressing memories, pairing recall with guided attention tasks. Some therapists adapt it for video sessions; whether that fits is worth asking about directly.

Frequently asked questions

What types of concerns does Shanua address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, relationship and intimacy issues, grief, addictions, parenting concerns, eating and sleeping problems, anger, self-esteem, bipolar disorder, and coping with life changes, among other areas.
How would you describe her therapy style?
Sessions are collaborative and straightforward. Shanua listens without judgment and focuses on practical steps and skills that clients can try between meetings.
What is her professional experience?
She has 19 years of experience working as a therapist in South Dakota, supporting people through a range of emotional and life challenges.
What credentials and location are listed?
She holds the credential LPC-MH, listed as SD LPC-MH 30699, and practices in South Dakota.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
Shanua offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging as formats for therapy.
How is cost handled for sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions based on the therapist's availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Also works with

Therapeutic approaches

Experience
19 years
Licensed
South Dakota
Languages
English

Next step

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