Dianne Smith , LMFT

Dianne Smith is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) who combines practical, skills-based work with a compassionate, goal-focused approach. She is action-oriented and often takes a direct style in sessions while maintaining empathy and respect for each person’s experiences and values. Dianne emphasizes learning and education as tools for change, helping people build new skills to manage stress, anxiety, relationships, parenting challenges, trauma responses, and other life transitions.

Drawing on training in trauma-informed care, cognitive behavioral therapy, family systems, and dialectical behavior therapy, she helps clients identify patterns that keep them stuck and teaches strategies to move forward. Her work integrates understanding with concrete techniques so clients gain both insight and practical tools to manage moods, relationships, addiction concerns, grief, and self-esteem struggles. She also addresses attachment and abandonment issues, control struggles, post-traumatic stress, and self-harm with sensitivity and experience.

Dianne partners with clients to clarify their goals and tailor approaches to what will be most helpful based on each person’s beliefs and hopes. As an LMFT, which stands for Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, she brings decades of experience supporting individuals, couples, and families toward healthier functioning and renewed momentum in life.

Approaches that guide online therapy and what to expect

CBT, or cognitive behavioral therapy, focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and replacing them with more constructive patterns. It is practical and skill-based, often used for anxiety, depression, stress, and coping with life changes.

Dialectical behavior therapy, or DBT, blends acceptance and change strategies and teaches skills in emotion regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and mindfulness. It can be especially helpful for intense emotions, relationship challenges, and self-harm behaviors.

Dianne approaches treatment collaboratively and recognizes that selecting the right method is part of the therapeutic process. She works with clients to assess needs, goals, and preferences and adapts techniques from different approaches so the plan fits each person. Licensed professionals help guide this decision so clients learn both understanding and practical tools.

Online sessions offer flexibility in how therapy is delivered - video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging - making it easier to maintain continuity of care around work, family, and other commitments. These options let people access therapy from their own settings and use the communication style that feels most comfortable while working on meaningful goals.