About Cortney
Cortney (Bota) Smith is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) who uses a person-centered approach to help people manage stress and anxiety. She keeps sessions straightforward and practical, focusing on what a client wants to change and how to get there. Cortney's style is calm and direct, and she aims to guide people while they make their own decisions.
She has 11 years of experience in mental health work, mainly in community clinics with adult clients.
Background and approach
Much of that time involved face-to-face therapy, and she has spent several years providing online therapy as well. Her education includes a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling, plus a thousand clinical internship hours across different placements. Cortney helps people address a wide range of concerns.
These include anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, addictions, trauma and abuse, grief, anger, relationship and family stress, and struggles with sleep, intimacy, parenting, self-esteem, career, and life changes. She uses practical techniques that target current challenges and patterns that maintain distress. Her session work combines client-centered listening with solution-focused steps and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) tools.
She also draws on Motivational Interviewing to support changes people want to make. Together these methods aim to break down goals into manageable, achievable actions. Cortney notes typical office hours and tries to accommodate evening appointments when possible.
She provides therapy from New York and meets with people in formats that fit different schedules and needs.
How Cortney's Approaches Work Online
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing them with practical steps. It helps with anxiety, sleep problems, low mood, and patterns that keep stress going. Client-Centered Therapy centers the conversation on the person's own goals and priorities, providing listening and reflection so the person defines progress.Choosing an approach is a collaborative process. Cortney will discuss goals and preferences and then suggest techniques that match what a person wants to accomplish. She adjusts methods over time based on what helps and what doesn't, so the plan stays practical and client-driven.
Online therapy offers flexible ways to connect. Video calls allow face-to-face conversations when a longer session is helpful. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text-based messaging suit quick updates, ongoing coping support, or people who prefer writing to speaking. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, school, or caregiving schedules.
Questions people ask
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How much experience does she have?
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How do I begin therapy with her?
What this therapist works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
Also listed
- Addictions
- Career difficulties
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Parenting issues
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
- Sleeping disorders
- Trauma and abuse
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 11 years
- Licensed
- New York
- Languages
- English
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