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Lori Smith

Therapist · Virginia

Lori Smith

LPC

Support for career and life transitions

Continue with Lori

Review online therapy options on BetterHelp.

  • Career focus
  • Practical steps
  • CBT informed

About Lori

Lori Smith is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) with 27 years of experience. She focuses on helping people navigate career matters, relationship stress, parenting concerns, anxiety, grief, and life transitions. Lori tends to work with adults who are making changes or feeling overwhelmed by competing demands.

Lori uses a simple hammock metaphor to explain her work. She looks at four areas that support someone - body, mind, emotions, and spirit. In sessions she talks about breathing and sleep, identifies unhelpful thoughts, practices healthier ways to express emotions, and explores meaning or spiritual concerns when helpful.

Her practical approach includes cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps people notice and change thought patterns that sustain stress. She also assigns reading or short exercises and practices communication skills that can be used at work or home. Career topics and coaching are part of conversations when relevant.

Lori pays attention to medical and physical history alongside emotional concerns, and she talks about exercise, sleep, and breathing as concrete steps people can try between sessions. She also helps people build better peer and community supports to reduce isolation and burnout.

Clients who prefer clear, actionable steps and a framework for balancing several areas of life may find this style useful. Lori sees therapy as a collaborative process and encourages people to try small changes, notice what helps, and adjust plans over time.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Relationship issuesParenting issuesCoping with life changes

Also works with

Stress, AnxietyFamily conflictsGriefSelf esteemCareer difficultiesCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

Family of origin issuesMulticultural concernsWomen's issues

Therapeutic approaches

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Experience

27+ years

Credentials

Virginia

Languages

English

How CBT and practical supports work online

Lori uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and try new ways of thinking and acting. CBT sessions focus on identifying patterns that cause stress, then working on short exercises and real-world practice to reduce anxious or limiting thinking.

She also emphasizes basic body-focused strategies such as breathing, sleep routines, and movement to lower stress. These are taught in simple, step-by-step ways so people can try them between sessions and report back on what changed. Lori may include reading assignments and communication practice that clients can use at work or home.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Lori will talk with each person about their goals and preferences and then shape the plan together. That collaborative process helps decide which techniques to prioritize and how quickly to adjust them.

Session format options are not specified here, so confirm current session choices before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy around work, reduce travel time, and offer shorter check-ins when schedules are tight. Licensed professionals can still focus on concrete skills, planning, and follow-up exercises in virtual meetings to keep progress moving forward.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does Lori focus on?

She addresses relationship strain, parenting challenges, career questions, stress, anxiety, grief, self-esteem, compassion fatigue, and ADHD-related concerns.

What is Lori's therapeutic style like?

Her work is practical and interactive, using a four-part framework - body, mind, emotions, spirit - with exercises and communication practice to build coping skills.

How long has she been practicing?

She has 27 years of experience as a clinician working with adults on life adjustments and related concerns.

What credentials and location are listed?

She holds the LPC credential and practices in Virginia.

Which languages are supported for sessions?

Sessions are offered in English.

Can people outside the United States work with Lori?

International clients are not currently accepted.

How are sessions scheduled and what does cost look like?

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

How do I begin working with her?

Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to therapist availability.

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