- Years in practice
- 23
- Credentials
- LCSW
- Licensed in
- Louisiana
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Addictions
- Focus
- Relationship issues
About Rena
Rena Smith is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 23 years of experience supporting people through stress, anxiety, addictions, grief, and parenting concerns. She centers the person's own knowledge of their life and looks for strengths to build on. Her approach is practical and straightforward, aimed at small changes that add up over time.
Rena uses methods that help people notice what matters and take steps toward it. She draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to explore values and reduce the hold of painful thoughts.
Background and approach
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is used to identify unhelpful thinking and try out new behaviors. Her work also includes client-centered listening that prioritizes the person's perspective. Motivational Interviewing helps when someone feels stuck or unsure about change.
Solution-focused tools are used to set short-term goals and track progress. Over two decades in Louisiana settings have given her experience with trauma, relationship strain, addiction recovery, and career and life transitions. She helps people talk through family issues and parenting stress without judgment.
Rena takes a practical stance - identifying one or two steps to practice between sessions. People meet her for a mix of conversation, goal-setting, and skill practice. She aims to make sessions understandable and usable in day-to-day life.
The focus is on what the person wants to change and how to get there.
What Rena works with
Everything Rena lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Rena helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Family conflicts
- Eating disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- Avoidant personality
- Codependency
- Dependent personality
- Divorce and separation
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Family of origin issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- HIV / AIDS
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Multicultural concerns
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Personality disorders
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
Approaches Rena lists
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Motivational Interviewing
- Solution-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
How Rena’s Approaches Work Online
Rena commonly blends Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in her online work. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people clarify what matters to them and take actions that match those values despite difficult thoughts or feelings. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on spotting thought patterns that keep problems going and testing small behavior changes to see real effects.Finding the right approach is a team effort. She will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t worked before. Together they choose methods and adjust the plan as needed so the work fits daily life and the challenges at hand.
Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to make therapy more flexible. Video can be used for deeper conversation and skills practice. Phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or for a focused check-in. Live chat or texting can support brief check-ins, homework prompts, or when typing feels easier than speaking. These options help people fit sessions around work, parenting, and other responsibilities while keeping momentum between appointments.
Questions people ask about Rena
What concerns does Rena commonly address?
She works with stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, grief, relationship struggles, parenting challenges, and related issues such as anger and career transitions.
What is her style of therapy?
Her style is collaborative and straightforward, combining acceptance-based work, cognitive-behavioral techniques, motivational interviewing, and solution-focused goal setting.
How much experience does she have?
Rena has 23 years of professional experience working in Louisiana settings with a range of clinical concerns.
What are her credentials and where is she located?
She holds the LCSW credential and practices in Louisiana.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging.
How does billing and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions according to therapist availability.
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