- Client-focused approach
- Skills and education
- Practical goal setting
About Shawanda
Dr. Shawanda Woods-Smith greets people with a calm, straightforward approach to stress and anxiety. She is a licensed psychologist in Louisiana and brings 16 years of clinical experience to sessions. Her style is collaborative and focused on practical steps that fit everyday life.
She helps people who are struggling with anxiety, depression, relationship pain, grief, and major life changes. In session she uses clear explanations and tools that people can try between meetings. That can include looking at thinking patterns, practicing present-moment awareness, and setting small, realistic goals.
Dr. Woods-Smith draws on client-centered methods to keep the conversation grounded in each person’s priorities. Cognitive behavioral techniques are used to spot unhelpful thoughts and test new behaviors. Mindfulness practices help reduce reactivity and improve focus.
Her background includes work across many concerns such as parenting stress, blended family issues, caregiver strain, and struggles with addiction or intimacy. She also offers guidance around communication problems, commitment concerns, and coping with loss.
Sessions emphasize education and concrete strategies. Expect a plan you help shape and steps you can practice between meetings. The emphasis is on steady progress and skills that fit your life.
She helps people who are struggling with anxiety, depression, relationship pain, grief, and major life changes. In session she uses clear explanations and tools that people can try between meetings. That can include looking at thinking patterns, practicing present-moment awareness, and setting small, realistic goals.
Dr. Woods-Smith draws on client-centered methods to keep the conversation grounded in each person’s priorities. Cognitive behavioral techniques are used to spot unhelpful thoughts and test new behaviors. Mindfulness practices help reduce reactivity and improve focus.
Her background includes work across many concerns such as parenting stress, blended family issues, caregiver strain, and struggles with addiction or intimacy. She also offers guidance around communication problems, commitment concerns, and coping with loss.
Sessions emphasize education and concrete strategies. Expect a plan you help shape and steps you can practice between meetings. The emphasis is on steady progress and skills that fit your life.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
AddictionsLGBTFamily conflictsGriefIntimacy-related issuesParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemBipolar disorderCoping with life changesADHD
Additional focus areas
Blended family issuesCaregiver issues and stressCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesDivorce and separationDomestic violenceEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameHospice and end-of-life counselingImmigration issuesInfidelityIntellectual disabilityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMen's issuesVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMood disordersMulticultural concernsPanic disorder and panic attacksPersonality disordersPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPrejudice and discriminationSelf-loveSmoking / vaping cessationSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Mindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingSolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy
Experience
16+ years
Credentials
Louisiana
Languages
English
How her approaches translate to online work
Client-centered therapy emphasizes listening to what matters most to each person and shaping sessions around those priorities. In practice this means the therapist asks about your goals, checks in on what helps, and adjusts plans based on your experience.Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing small behavior changes. It is practical for anxiety, depression, stress, and many relationship or work-related struggles because it gives clear exercises to try between sessions.
Mindfulness therapy teaches simple attention and breathing practices to reduce reactivity and improve focus. These practices can be short and easy to add into daily routines when stress is high.
Finding the right approach is a joint process. The therapist will work with each person to choose methods that match their goals and preferences, and she will adjust the plan as progress is reviewed. That collaborative stance helps clients feel involved in their care.
If you’re considering online therapy, confirm available session formats before booking since options are not specified here. Online work can make it easier to fit meetings into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and remove travel time so therapy fits around work and family commitments. Licensed professionals can adapt CBT and mindfulness exercises well to remote work, and the focus stays on practical steps you can use between sessions.
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she address?
She works with people facing stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and intimacy concerns, grief, addiction issues, and major life changes.
What is her general therapy style?
Her style is supportive and collaborative, focusing on practical tools, education, and steps clients can use between sessions.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 16 years of experience providing psychological services across a range of concerns and settings.
What are her credentials and location?
She is licensed as LA Psychologist 1298 and practices in Louisiana.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with her?
She is not currently accepting international clients.
How does billing and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin therapy with her?
Select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.