Shannon Smith, LISW

Shannon Smith is a Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) based in Ohio who helps adults facing stress, anxiety, trauma, mood challenges, and life changes. She takes a direct and compassionate approach and focuses on practical skills that people can use between sessions. Shannon aims to create a calm, steady space for people who feel overwhelmed or stuck.

She draws on about 10 years of experience in the behavioral health field. That background includes clinical social work and service as a social work officer in the Army National Guard. Those roles shaped her attention to detail and her practice of careful listening.

In sessions Shannon uses cognitive behavioral tools alongside acceptance and commitment ideas and attachment-informed perspectives. She also uses client-centered and dialectical behavior techniques to help people manage strong emotions and improve daily routines. When helpful, she teaches grounding and self-soothing skills to reduce distress in the moment.

Shannon focuses on real problems like sleep disruption, eating and body image concerns, grief, caregiver stress, impulsivity, and work-related burnout. She supports people dealing with complex trauma, domestic violence impacts, and patterns such as codependency and attachment wounds. Her approach is tailored to each person’s needs and goals.

Shannon brings a person-centered manner and, when clients choose it, integrates faith-based values alongside evidence-informed techniques. She emphasizes strengths, practical coping strategies, and steady progress over time.

Approaches That Guide Online Sessions

Shannon uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people identify unhelpful thought patterns and change behaviors that keep problems going. CBT is practical and often focuses on specific skills for anxiety, depression, sleep issues, and eating-related concerns.

She also draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings without getting controlled by them while building a life based on personal values. Attachment-Based ideas are used to look at relational patterns and how early bonds influence current reactions and coping.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work together. Shannon will talk with each person about their needs, goals, and preferences and then try techniques that fit. That collaborative process helps shape a plan that feels useful and realistic.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video visits are good for in-depth conversation and skill practice. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or when someone prefers not to be on camera. Live chat or texting can work well for brief check-ins, skill reminders, or when a shorter touchpoint fits into a busy day. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, caregiving, or other responsibilities.