Shanua Smith, LPC-MH - Therapist in South Dakota

Client-centered focus
Trauma-informed methods
Practical coping tools

About Shanua

Shanua Smith is a licensed professional counselor - mental health (LPC-MH) with 19 years of practice in South Dakota. She supports people facing stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship struggles, grief, addiction, and coping with life changes. Shanua offers a calm, steady presence for those feeling overwhelmed and unsure where to begin.

She builds a kind, nonjudgmental space where people can talk through what they are facing. Sessions focus on practical steps as well as understanding how past experiences shape current feelings. Shanua draws on approaches that help people manage emotions, improve communication, and address upsetting memories.

Her work is collaborative and individualized. Rather than a one-size-fits-all plan, she helps each person set goals and try tools that fit their life. That may mean looking at thought patterns, practicing new ways to handle stress, or processing traumatic memories when appropriate.

Shanua also helps with role-specific strains such as caregiver stress, compassion fatigue, and adjusting after difficult events, including coping with natural or human-caused disaster. She pays attention to issues like attachment, abandonment, body image, and eating and sleeping problems that often come up alongside other concerns.

People meet her for help with concrete problems like career stress, parenting strain, and intimacy-related issues as well as deeper struggles such as guilt, shame, and emptiness. Her goal is to help people build resilience and clearer next steps so daily life feels more manageable.

How Shanua’s approaches translate to online work

Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes listening and understanding the person where they are. In practice this means the therapist reflects what you say, asks clarifying questions, and helps you set goals that feel relevant to daily life. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking and practicing different thoughts and behaviors to reduce distress. It is often used for anxiety, depression, stress, and some relationship and career concerns. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR, is a trauma-focused method used to process upsetting memories; it involves guided recall and specific bilateral stimulation to help reduce the intensity of traumatic memories.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Shanua will talk with each person about their goals and preferences and suggest which methods to try. The choice of approach is collaborative and may change as progress is made or needs shift.

Please confirm current session options before booking since formats are not listed here. Online therapy can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy week, reduce travel time, and offer more consistent check-ins during stressful periods. It also lets people try short coaching-style sessions or longer therapy visits depending on what they need, helping therapy fit into everyday life without adding extra logistical strain.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesTrauma and abuse Grief Depression

Also works with

AddictionsFamily conflictsIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeBody imageCancerCaregiver issues and stress Communication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disaster DissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceEmptinessForgivenessGuilt and shame Hospice and end-of-life counselingImpulsivityIsolation / loneliness Life purposeMidlife crisisMood disordersObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksPersonality disordersPost-traumatic stressSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-loveSexual assault and abuseSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issues

Therapeutic approaches

Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)Motivational InterviewingTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

19+ years

Credentials

South Dakota

Languages

English

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does Shanua commonly address?

She helps people with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, relationships, addictions, and coping with life changes including coping with natural or human-caused disaster.

What is her general therapeutic style?

Her style is compassionate and collaborative. She creates a nonjudgmental space and works with clients to set goals and practice practical tools.

How much clinical experience does she have?

She has 19 years of experience working as a licensed therapist in South Dakota.

What credentials and region are listed for this therapist?

The credential listed is LPC-MH, and practice location is South Dakota.

Which languages are sessions offered in?

Sessions are offered in English only.

Can international clients work with this therapist?

International clients are not currently accepted.

How do fees and billing work?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

How do I begin working with Shanua?

Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule based on the therapist's availability.