Cortney (Bota) Smith , LMHC

Cortney (Bota) Smith is a New York licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) with 11 years of professional experience. She has spent much of her career working in community clinics with adult clients, offering traditional face-to-face therapy, and for the past seven years she has provided teletherapy through the platform. Her academic background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling, along with 1,000 clinical hours completed as a mental health intern in a variety of placements. She has supported people facing a wide range of concerns, including stress, anxiety, anger, bipolar disorder, depression, addictions, relationship and family challenges, trauma and abuse, grief, intimacy-related issues, sleep difficulties, parenting concerns, self esteem, career transitions, and coping with life changes. Cortney practices from a person-centered perspective, aiming to meet clients where they are and understand their individual wants and needs. She integrates solution-focused techniques and cognitive behavioral strategies to help clients set practical goals, test new approaches, and shift unhelpful thinking patterns while keeping the client in the lead of their own change process. Her role is to support and guide as clients come to conclusions and make choices that help them progress toward their goals. Her current office hours are Monday 9am-2pm and Wednesday 9am-3pm Eastern Time, and she attempts to accommodate evening appointments when possible; those primarily seeking consistent evening or weekend appointments may prefer a counselor with those specific hours.

How Cortney's Approaches Work in Online Therapy

Cortney emphasizes a client-centered approach that focuses on understanding each person's unique perspective and priorities. This style involves active listening and collaborative goal-setting so the therapist can meet the person where they are and tailor support to their needs.

She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a practical method that helps individuals identify and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. CBT is often useful for anxiety, depression, stress management, sleep problems, and many day-to-day coping challenges. In addition, Cortney applies solution-focused techniques that concentrate on small, achievable steps and concrete solutions; this approach can be especially helpful when clients want clear strategies to move forward and address immediate concerns.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the therapeutic process, and Cortney works collaboratively with people to determine what fits best given their goals, preferences, and life circumstances. Online therapy offers practical flexibility - sessions can take place by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging - which makes it easier to connect around work, family, or geographic constraints and to maintain continuity of care when schedules are busy.