- Years in practice
- 38
- Credentials
- LMHC
- Licensed in
- New York
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Anger management
- Focus
- Bipolar disorder
About Michael
Michael Smith is a licensed mental health counselor with 38 years of experience. He focuses on practical help for people feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, mood shifts, addiction, or parenting challenges. He aims for clear conversations and workable steps you can try between sessions.
He favors straightforward methods that help people notice patterns and change them. Sessions often include calm, focused listening and specific tools for day-to-day problems. He uses approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and client-centered listening to help people make small, steady shifts.
Background and approach
Michael also draws on mindfulness and existential ideas to help people find meaning and stay present when life feels chaotic. That can look like short breathing practices, checking unhelpful thoughts, or talking through what really matters. He adapts what he offers to each person’s situation and goals.
Based in New York, he has worked across a wide range of concerns including depression, bipolar mood issues, ADHD, grief, trauma, and relationship or intimacy-related worries. He has also supported people facing career changes, compassion fatigue, and sleep or eating difficulties. Sessions can use practical problem-solving and motivational techniques when change feels stalled.
The emphasis is on realistic steps that fit your life and priorities.
What Michael works with
Everything Michael lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Michael helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- ADHD
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Eating disorders
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Coping with life changes
- Compassion fatigue
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Antisocial personality
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Avoidant personality
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Emptiness
- Impulsivity
- Intellectual disability
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Personality disorders
- Phobias
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Self-harm
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Traumatic brain injury
Approaches Michael lists
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Existential Therapy
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Solution-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
Approaches that guide online sessions
Michael blends client-centered therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy in online work. Client-centered therapy means the therapist listens closely and follows the client’s concerns, helping people feel heard and understood. It supports people who want a space to talk through parenting stress, relationship worries, or life changes.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and shifting small behaviors. It is useful for anxiety, depression, sleep or eating difficulties, and managing anger by teaching practical skills to try between sessions.
Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match goals and daily life. That may mean trying short mindfulness practices, focusing on thinking patterns with CBT, or keeping sessions open and exploratory when decisions feel unclear.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video sessions are helpful when face-to-face conversation matters. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or someone prefers no camera. Live chat and text messaging suit quick check-ins, brief coaching, or moments when typing feels more comfortable. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy parenting schedule or workday.
Questions people ask about Michael
What kinds of concerns does Michael address?
He works with stress, anxiety, depression, bipolar mood issues, addictions, ADHD, trauma and abuse, grief, parenting concerns, relationship and intimacy issues, sleep and eating problems, and related life transitions.
How would you describe his therapy style?
The style is calm and practical with a focus on listening and finding small, useful changes. Sessions blend client-centered listening with concrete techniques from cognitive behavioral and mindfulness approaches.
What is his background and experience?
He is a licensed mental health counselor with 38 years of professional experience working with mood disorders, addictions, neurodevelopmental and emotional challenges.
Where is he licensed and located?
Michael holds the LMHC credential and practices in New York.
Which languages are offered and can international clients join?
Sessions are offered in English and he is not currently accepting international clients.
What session formats are available?
He offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different schedules and preferences.
How does cost work for sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with him?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a time based on therapist availability.
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