- Client-centered approach
- Practical coping skills
- Life-balance support
About Delores
Delores Smith is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with decades of experience helping people through hard times. She centers sessions on the person in front of her and focuses on practical steps that fit each client’s life. Her approach aims to help clients recognize how choices shape outcomes and to move toward goals at a comfortable pace.
She draws on Client-Centered Therapy to create a nonjudgmental space where people can talk openly. That foundation is combined with tools from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to address anxiety, depression, grief, and stress. Mindfulness and Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills are also used to build emotional regulation and present-moment coping.
Delores works with people facing relationship strains, intimacy-related problems, communication breakdowns, and divorce or separation concerns. She also supports those dealing with addiction, career pressures, compassion fatigue, and the ripple effects of trauma or disasters. Additional focuses include abandonment issues, guilt and shame, forgiveness, infidelity, personality concerns, and women’s issues.
She offers behavior change strategies, problem-solving techniques, and life-coaching style support for people seeking better work-life balance. Sessions emphasize clarity about what matters, practical next steps, and steady progress at a client’s chosen speed.
Delores practices in Virginia and holds a VA LCSW credential. Sessions are conducted in English and she does not accept international clients. To begin, prospective clients complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule according to the therapist’s availability.
How her approaches translate to online sessions
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on respectful, empathetic listening and helping people identify what matters to them. In practice this means the therapist reflects concerns back, helps clarify goals, and supports clients as they choose next steps. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) uses values and committed action to help people move past avoidance and toward meaningful activities, which can be useful for anxiety, depression, and life transitions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at thoughts and behaviors to identify patterns that maintain problems and offers clear strategies to change them, often in short, practical exercises.Choosing the right approach is part of the work. The therapist collaborates with each person to find the mix of methods that fits their needs, goals, and preferences. That may mean starting with listening and insight, then adding skills from ACT or CBT as appropriate.
If you are considering online therapy, confirm current session options before booking so you know which formats are available. Online work can make scheduling easier, help fit sessions into a busy week, and allow for shorter check-ins when needed. Talk with the therapist about what will best fit your routine and goals so sessions can be tailored to your life.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
47+ years
Listed in
Virginia
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does Delores focus on?
She helps people with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship and intimacy issues, addictions, career challenges, and coping with life changes among other concerns.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Sessions are client-centered and nonjudgmental, with an emphasis on insight into choices and practical steps using CBT, ACT, DBT, and mindfulness techniques.
How much experience does she have?
She brings 47 years of professional experience working in social work and therapeutic practice.
Where is she licensed and based?
She holds a VA LCSW credential and practices in Virginia.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English only.
Can international clients work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are sessions scheduled and what do they cost?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What do I need to do to start therapy?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the crisis numbers.