Cortney (Bota) Smith

Cortney (Bota) Smith is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) who uses a person-centered approach. She focuses on understanding each person's needs and helps them set goals they can work toward. Cortney writes plainly and meets people where they are. She draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and solution-focused techniques to help with anger, anxiety, depression, bipolar mood concerns, addictions, and trauma. Cortney also supports people dealing with stress, grief, intimacy concerns, sleeping problems, parenting strain, self-esteem challenges, career stress, and major life changes. Her work aims to help clients identify practical next steps and build coping skills that fit their daily lives. Cortney brings 11 years of experience in community clinic settings and traditional face-to-face care. Her training includes a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, a Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling, and 1,000 clinical internship hours across different placements. That background informs a straightforward, collaborative style. Sessions emphasize listening first, then trying tools together. Cortney focuses on what a person wants to change and helps them test small shifts that add up over time. She encourages clients to reach their own conclusions while offering guidance and clear techniques. Office hours are weekday mornings and mid-day with occasional evenings when possible. Cortney works from New York and conducts sessions in English. If schedule needs are mainly evenings or weekends, she suggests checking options before booking.

How Cortney blends practical approaches for online care

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on letting the person lead the pace and topics of sessions while the therapist offers support and reflection. This approach helps when someone needs a calm, nonjudgmental space to figure out what matters most to them.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors connect and teaches step-by-step skills to change unhelpful patterns. CBT can be helpful for anger, anxiety, depression, and sleep problems by giving clear, do-able exercises to try between sessions.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. Cortney will collaborate with each person to decide which methods fit their goals, needs, and preferences. She starts by listening, then suggests techniques to try and adjusts the plan based on what helps.

Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, such as taking a session during a work break or avoiding travel time. It also lets people practice skills at home and check in about how exercises are going. Confirm the current session options before booking so you know what formats are available and what will work best for your routine.