Willow Wakeley-Smith, LCSW

Willow Wakeley-Smith is a licensed clinical social worker who uses clear, practical methods to help people manage stress, anxiety, depression, ADHD, and parenting challenges. She draws on cognitive behavioral ideas alongside person-centered care to help clients set goals and try things that make everyday life easier.

Willow keeps sessions straightforward and goal-focused. She listens for what matters most to each person and tailors a plan that changes as progress is made. That plan may include behavioral experiments, problem-solving, and ways to change unhelpful thinking patterns.

Her background includes five years of clinical work with adults and more than ten years in professional roles supporting children and school communities. That combination gives her experience with parenting concerns, caregiver stress, and the challenges people face when managing mood disorders or attention differences.

Willow also works with people dealing with grief, trauma and abuse, addictions, relationship and communication problems, sleep struggles, and questions about identity and gender. She brings a respectful, compassionate approach and focuses on practical steps clients can use between sessions.

Sessions are offered from Missouri and conducted in English. Willow uses a collaborative style that blends cognitive behavioral techniques, mindfulness practices, motivational interviewing, and elements of the Gottman approach when relationship skills are a focus. She aims to help people notice small changes that add up to real improvements in daily life.

How Willow's Approaches Work Online

Willow uses cognitive behavioral ideas to help clients notice and change patterns of thinking and behavior that get in the way of everyday life. CBT-style work often involves setting small practice tasks, tracking reactions, and testing new behaviors to see what helps with anxiety, depression, or ADHD-related struggles.

She also uses a client-centered way of working that begins with listening and understanding each person's priorities. That approach focuses on the individual’s goals and builds from their strengths while adding mindfulness skills to help with stress, grounding, and noticing moments of overwhelm.

Finding the right approach is a team effort. Willow will talk with clients about their needs, goals, and preferences and then recommend ways to work together. Plans can change over time based on what proves helpful in daily life, so clients remain part of decisions about pace and focus.

Online sessions are offered by video, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to make scheduling easier. Video lets people work face-to-face when they want to practice skills with guidance. Phone can be a simpler option that uses less bandwidth. Live chat and text messaging are useful for brief check-ins, quick coaching, or when someone prefers writing to speaking. These options aim to make therapy more flexible and easier to fit into busy routines.