- Warm listening
- Practical skills
- Adoption focus
About Marlene
Marlene Smith is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) who focuses on helping people facing stress, anxiety, relationship strain, low self-esteem, and depression. She aims to make the first step into therapy feel manageable and supportive. Her approach centers on creating an open space where clients can talk honestly without judgment.
Marlene listens first and adapts sessions to each person’s needs. She uses clear, practical techniques to help people notice unhelpful patterns and build new habits. Conversations emphasize strengths, realistic goals, and small steps that fit into daily life.
Her background includes work supporting people through life transitions and issues tied to adoption and foster care. She also addresses concerns such as attachment struggles, body image, coping with illness, and separation or divorce. This range helps her spot how past experiences shape current reactions.
Marlene draws on several therapy styles to guide her work. She leans on attachment-based ideas to understand relationship patterns, client-centered listening to keep sessions grounded in the person’s priorities, and cognitive behavioral tools to change thoughts and actions that maintain distress.
Sessions aim to be collaborative and practical. Marlene helps clients set clear goals, try small changes between meetings, and track progress. She speaks English and practices in West Virginia as an LPC.
How therapeutic approaches shape online support
Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on how early relationship patterns affect current connections. It helps people notice ways they react in close relationships and try new, more secure ways of relating.Client-Centered Therapy centers the person’s own goals. The therapist listens without directing the conversation and helps clients name what matters most to them and move at their pace.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts, feelings, and actions interact. It teaches practical exercises to test unhelpful thoughts and to build small behavior changes that improve mood and functioning.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match their goals and preferences. That choice can shift over time as needs change.
Many people find online therapy easier to fit into busy days because it can reduce travel and allow scheduling during short breaks. If you are considering remote sessions, confirm the specific session formats offered before booking so you know what to expect. A brief phone or video check-in can be useful for quick progress reviews, while longer sessions allow for deeper skill practice and conversation.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
3+ years
Credentials
West Virginia
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns can I bring to therapy?
You can bring issues like stress, anxiety, relationship strain, low self-esteem, depression, and coping with life changes. Marlene also lists additional focus areas such as adoption and foster care, attachment issues, body image, and separation or divorce.
How would you describe the therapy style?
The style is collaborative and person-focused. Sessions combine listening, practical tools, and goal-setting to help people change patterns and manage difficult feelings.
What experience does the therapist have?
The counselor has three years of professional experience working with concerns like anxiety, depression, and relationship difficulties.
What credentials and location are listed?
The therapist holds the LPC credential and practices in West Virginia under the WV LPC designation.
Are sessions offered in other languages or internationally?
Sessions are offered in English. International clients are not currently accepted.
Which session formats are available?
The biography does not specify session formats. Please confirm current session options before booking so you know whether online, phone, or in-person meetings are offered.
How does billing and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist arrangements. Sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What should I do to start therapy?
Select the Start Therapy button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to the therapist's availability.