- 20 years experience
- Adoption and foster care
- Mindful and practical
About Cara
Cara Smith is a licensed clinical social worker in Georgia with 20 years of experience. She helps people facing stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, career struggles, and parenting concerns. She also supports those dealing with sleep problems, addictions, bipolar mood concerns, and relationship or intimacy-related issues.
Cara works with adults as well as children, adolescents, and older adults. She creates a calm, nonjudgmental space where people can talk through painful feelings and small victories. Her approach is practical and straightforward, focusing on what a person needs right now.
In sessions she uses techniques from client-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and dialectical behavior therapy. She blends these with mindfulness and communication tools to help people change thinking and behavior patterns. She also draws on skills from the Gottman Method for relationship-focused work.
Cara has specific experience supporting adoption and foster care concerns alongside caregiver stress, family conflict, and challenges tied to attention differences. She helps clients set goals and build everyday routines that reduce overwhelm and improve relationships.
How therapy approaches guide online sessions
Client-centered therapy emphasizes listening and building a trusting relationship. The therapist follows the person's lead, reflecting feelings and helping clarify goals so sessions feel focused on the person's priorities.Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, helps people spot unhelpful thoughts and test new behaviors. It is useful for anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and changing day-to-day habits that get in the way of feeling better.
Dialectical behavior therapy, or DBT, teaches emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal skills. Those tools can help when mood swings, intense reactions, or relationship conflicts make daily life harder.
Finding the right fit is part of the work. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn't helped before. Together they choose which methods to try and adjust the plan as progress is made.
Confirm current session options before booking so you know what formats are offered. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and avoid travel time. They also let the therapist use worksheets, mindfulness practices, and homework between sessions to support real-life changes.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
20+ years
Credentials
Georgia
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Cara address?
Cara works with a broad range of concerns including stress, anxiety, depression, parenting challenges, relationship and intimacy-related issues, addictions, bipolar mood concerns, ADHD, and sleep problems.
What is her general approach in sessions?
She blends client-centered listening with practical techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy. Sessions focus on identifying small, doable steps and building skills to handle current problems.
What experience does she bring?
Cara has 20 years of professional work experience supporting children, adolescents, adults, and older adults across a range of life and mental health concerns.
What credentials and region are listed?
She holds LCSW and CSW credentials and is licensed in Georgia.
Which languages are available for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Are international clients supported?
International clients are not accepted at this time.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to therapist availability.