Therapist profile
Cara Smith, LCSW, CSW
Georgia
Georgia LCSW - Relationships and Stress
Continue with CaraWhere Cara stands
- Credentials
- LCSW, CSW
- License
- LCSW, Georgia / CSW005450
- NPI
- 1053052258
- Experience
- 20 years
- Languages
- English
- Location
- Georgia
About
- Client-centered methods
- CBT skills
- DBT strategies
About Cara
Cara Smith is a Georgia licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with 20 years of professional experience. She works with adults facing stress, anxiety, relationship strain, self-esteem struggles, career challenges, depression, addictions, and codependency concerns. Sessions are conversational and focused on practical steps that fit daily life.
She helps people sort out patterns that leave them putting others first or losing themselves in relationships. That includes people-pleasing, boundary difficulties, living around someone else's moods, and related intimacy or family problems. Conversations tend to be direct and solution-minded, not full of jargon.
Cara uses client-centered methods to base work on what matters to the person in front of her. She also draws on cognitive behavioral techniques to identify thoughts that keep problems going. For emotional regulation and distress tolerance, she brings elements of dialectical behavior therapy into practical skills work.
Her background covers work with children, adolescents, adults, and older adults across multiple settings. That range informs how she handles family dynamics, parenting concerns, and adoption or foster care issues. Cara also has experience with caregiver stress and aging-related challenges.
On a visit, expect straightforward conversation about current problems, past patterns, and concrete strategies to try between sessions. She uses mindfulness exercises when helpful and can include relationship-focused tools informed by the Gottman Method. If you want to explore coaching-style supports, she incorporates that into session planning as needed.
How sessions work
Therapeutic approaches and working online
Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and responding to what matters to the person. It helps people clarify priorities and feel understood while deciding the next steps. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and actions and teaches practical tools for changing unhelpful patterns. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) provides skills for managing intense emotions and improving relationships through concrete exercises and practice.Figuring out which approach to use is part of the work. Cara will help you choose methods based on your current goals, how you react to stress, and what you want to get out of sessions. That choice is collaborative and can change as progress is made.
Confirm the exact session formats before booking so you know what options are offered. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life - for example a shorter video check-in during a lunch break, phone sessions when bandwidth is limited, or regular video appointments that avoid travel time. These practical choices help people keep consistency with work, parenting, and caregiving demands.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
20+ years
Listed in
Georgia
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she work with?
She works with stress, anxiety, relationship strain, self-esteem, career issues, depression, addictions, ADHD, and codependency-related patterns.
How would she describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is conversational and practical, using client-centered listening alongside CBT and DBT skills to address thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
What experience does she bring?
She has 20 years of professional experience working across settings with children, adolescents, adults, and geriatric clients.
What are her credentials and location?
She is a Georgia LCSW and CSW based in Georgia.
Does she offer sessions in other languages or to international clients?
Sessions are offered in English. International clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are available?
Please confirm current session options before booking so you know which formats she is offering at the time.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies with location; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I get started with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are not safe at home, use the crisis and helpline numbers.