- Collaborative approach
- Practical tools
- Focus on goals
About Shawanda
Dr. Shawanda Woods-Smith greets visitors with a calm, direct approach. She is a psychologist practicing in Louisiana and has 16 years of experience. People often reach out for help with stress, anxiety, relationships, and life changes. She also works with concerns like grief, addiction, parenting strain, and issues related to identity and intimacy.
Her style is collaborative and down-to-earth. Sessions focus on practical steps clients can try between meetings. She uses conversation, problem-solving, and education to help people understand what keeps them stuck and what can change.
Dr. Woods-Smith draws on several therapeutic approaches to shape her work. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps identify unhelpful thoughts and shift behavior. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes listening and building on each person’s strengths. Mindfulness techniques are used to reduce reactivity and support coping. Motivational Interviewing and Solution-Focused ideas help with setting goals and making steady progress.
She has experience addressing family of origin concerns, blended family issues, fatherhood and parenting stress, and caregiving burdens. She also supports people facing immigration-related stress, end-of-life and hospice concerns, and the effects of trauma and abuse.
If you want straightforward help with mood, relationships, or managing big life transitions, she helps people find clear next steps and build on what already works. To begin, readers can use the site’s process to match and schedule a first session.
How these approaches translate to online work
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening, validation, and building on a person's strengths. Online sessions let that same attentive conversation happen through remote meetings, so the therapist can reflect back what matters and help clients set goals. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) breaks problems into thoughts, feelings, and actions and uses simple exercises to test new ways of thinking. In online sessions CBT can include tracking thoughts, practicing small behavioral experiments, and reviewing progress together. Mindfulness Therapy teaches simple awareness and breathing practices to reduce reactivity and improve focus, and these techniques can be guided and practiced during remote appointments.Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to decide which methods fit their goals, needs, and day-to-day life. That decision can shift over time as progress is made and priorities change.
Session formats are not specified in the profile, so confirm current options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, support shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce the time spent traveling. Many people find remote sessions help them keep regular contact during times of change while still focusing on concrete goals and skills.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
16+ years
Credentials
Louisiana
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What problems does this therapist commonly address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and intimacy concerns, grief, addictions, parenting and fatherhood issues, career strain, ADHD, bipolar concerns, and trauma or abuse.
How would you describe the therapeutic style used?
The approach is collaborative and practical, focusing on clear goals, problem-solving, and skills people can try between sessions.
What is Dr. Woods-Smith's professional background?
She is a psychologist with 16 years of clinical experience working with individuals and on relationship and family concerns.
What credential and region are listed for this clinician?
The profile lists LA Psychologist 1298 and a practice location in Louisiana.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English only.
Are international clients accepted for therapy?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are session costs handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability, and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What steps are involved in getting started?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule based on the therapist's availability.