Dr. Bette Smyth, LPC

Dr. Bette Smyth offers direct, practical help for people feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, grief, depression, or big life changes. She keeps sessions focused and down-to-earth so clients can start using new skills quickly.

With 35 years of experience, Dr. Smyth draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and related approaches to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and try different behaviors. She also uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and client-centered ideas to help people accept difficult feelings while moving toward what matters to them.

Her background includes crisis work in emergency rooms, hotline call centers, government crisis agencies, and correctional settings. Those experiences shaped a calm, practical style that suits people looking for concrete ways to manage symptoms and regain stability.

In sessions she explains tools in simple language, practices new skills together, and helps people plan manageable steps to handle hard moments. She pays attention to issues like attachment and abandonment, body image, caregiver stress, chronic illness and pain, and compassion fatigue.

People struggling with relationship difficulties, control issues, guilt and shame, or a sense of isolation will find focused support aimed at clearer thinking and steadier action. Dr. Smyth invites clients to share their story and works with them to find realistic, usable changes that fit their life.

Approaches that translate well to online care

Dr. Smyth commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people change unhelpful thinking and commit to meaningful actions. CBT focuses on identifying thought patterns and practicing different behaviors to reduce anxiety and depression. ACT teaches people to notice difficult feelings, accept them, and take steps toward personal values rather than getting stuck.

She also uses client-centered techniques that emphasize listening and responding to each person's experience. Finding the right mix of approaches is a collaborative process. The therapist will discuss goals, try methods in session, and adjust the plan based on what helps the person make steady progress.

Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different needs. Video is useful for in-depth work and skill practice, phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited, and messaging or live chat can be used for brief check-ins or when a shorter contact fits a busy day. These options make scheduling easier and let people use therapy from many locations.