- Client-centered care
- CBT for coping
- Goal-focused work
About Sonia
Dr. Sonia Smith is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) based in New York. She uses a practical, conversational style to help people manage stress, anxiety, relationship struggles, grief, depression, and addiction-related concerns. Her approach is direct and compassionate, aimed at helping people find clearer steps forward.
With 25 years of experience, she draws on Client-Centered Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to address everyday problems. Sessions focus on real-life coping skills, changing unhelpful thinking patterns, and improving communication. She also uses Motivational Interviewing and Solution-Focused techniques when clients want goal-focused work or help finding motivation for change.
Dr. Smith has a background in social work practice that includes grief and bereavement, domestic violence, community trauma, and prevention of child abuse and neglect. That experience informs how she approaches trauma, loss, and the ripple effects those issues can have on family relationships and parenting.
She also works with concerns related to adoption and foster care, attachment issues, blended family challenges, immigration stress, and coping with natural or human-caused disaster. Her work includes supporting people through hospice and end-of-life counseling and helping clients reconnect with life purpose.
Her style is collaborative and strengths-based. She aims to help people notice what is working, set practical goals, and build small habits that improve daily life. Sessions are offered in English and reflect years of hands-on practice in community and clinical settings.
How her approaches translate to online work
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening, empathy, and helping people find their own answers. It’s useful when someone needs space to process grief, relationship strain, or life changes while feeling heard. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts, feelings, and actions connect and teaches practical skills for anxiety, depression, and stress-related problems. It often involves short exercises and homework to try between sessions.The right approach is something the therapist and client decide together. Dr. Smith will talk about goals, try different techniques, and adjust the work based on what helps most. That collaborative process means therapy can shift toward skill-building, emotional processing, or goal-focused coaching as needed.
Session options are not specified here, so confirm available formats before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy schedule, reduce travel time, and allow more consistent check-ins during stressful periods. It also makes brief motivational conversations and focused CBT skill sessions simpler to schedule around work, school, or caregiving duties.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
25+ years
Credentials
New York
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What problems does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, relationship and intimacy issues, trauma and abuse, grief, depression, and addictions as well as parenting and self-esteem concerns.
How would you describe the therapy style?
Her style is practical and collaborative, using client-centered listening plus techniques from CBT, Motivational Interviewing, and Solution-Focused Therapy to set goals and build coping skills.
What kind of background does she bring?
She has 25 years of clinical experience working in social work, including grief and bereavement, domestic violence, community trauma, and child abuse prevention.
What are her credentials and where does she practice?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, LCSW, practicing in New York.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the U.S. work with her?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How does billing or cost typically work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What should I do to start therapy?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions based on the therapist's availability.