Taylor Smith
Problem-focused therapy with practical tools
- Credentials
- LMFT
- Experience
- 10 years
- Licensed in
- California
- Languages
- English
- Format
- Online sessions
About Taylor
Taylor Smith is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with ten years of clinical experience. He blends practical techniques with thoughtful listening to help people handle stress, anxiety, addictions, and major life changes. Taylor keeps sessions straightforward and goal-focused so families and parents can find clearer paths forward.
He trained in counseling psychology and in brief therapy methods that aim for efficient, tangible progress. He also studied Milton Erickson's approach and uses hypnotherapy techniques when appropriate.
Background and approach
Over a decade he completed substance abuse practicums and an internship, and has supported many people through grief, trauma, and relationship concerns. Taylor uses skills-based tools from Dialectical Behavior Therapy to help manage intense emotions and improve coping. He blends that with solution-focused ideas to set concrete goals and take small, usable steps.
He also draws on Jungian perspectives to understand deeper patterns and meaning when that work fits a person's goals. Sessions focus on practical strategies such as communication skills, boundary setting, relapse prevention, and planning for life transitions. Taylor aims to be direct, respectful, and efficient in sessions so time feels well spent.
He works with issues including parenting, family challenges, intimacy-related struggles, depression, bipolar, and substance use. Based in California, Taylor offers appointments in formats that suit busy lives. He emphasizes collaboration: clients set priorities and he matches methods to reach them.
The goal is clearer decision making and workable tools for day-to-day life.
Practical therapeutic approaches for online care
Taylor often uses Dialectical Behavior Therapy, which focuses on building concrete skills for managing strong emotions, handling crises, and improving interpersonal effectiveness. It is useful when stress, anger, or anxiety feel overwhelming.He also integrates hypnotherapy techniques influenced by Milton Erickson to help clients access focused attention and change habits or patterns that feel stuck. This approach can support work on addiction, motivation, and shifting automatic reactions.
Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Taylor talks with each person about their goals and preferences and then suggests methods that fit those needs. He adapts techniques over time based on progress and what feels most helpful to the client.
Online therapy lets people access care without adding travel time. Video calls allow face-to-face work for skill teaching and deeper conversations, while phone sessions can be a simpler option on busy days. Live chat and text messaging provide quick check-ins, homework prompts, or brief coaching between sessions. These formats aim to make therapy more flexible and easier to fit into everyday life.
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.
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.
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Relationship issues
Also works with
- Anger management
- Attachment issues
- Bipolar disorder
- Blended family issues
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Co-morbidity
- Coaching
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Coping with life changes
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Family conflicts
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Intimacy-related issues
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Parenting issues
- Phobias
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Post-traumatic stress
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 10 years
- Licensed
- California
- Languages
- English
Next step
Talk to Taylor
- Takes a few minutes
- Nothing to set up just to look
- Stop at any point