Bernadette Smith
Compassionate, skills-focused counseling for everyday challenges
LCMHC Utah
- Experience
- 14 years in practice
- Focus areas
- Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Relationship
- Approaches
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Languages
- English
About Bernadette
Bernadette Smith is a licensed clinical mental health counselor in Utah with 14 years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship concerns, low self-esteem, and depression. She also works with clients facing communication difficulties and social anxiety or phobia.
Background and approach
She frames therapy as a partnership that builds on each person’s existing strengths, inviting clients to use their own insights as a foundation for change. Her approach emphasizes practical skills alongside personal validation, guiding clients through steps that improve coping, interpersonal functioning, and motivation.
Bernadette supports clients as they take courageous steps toward greater satisfaction and wellbeing, offering steady encouragement and tailored strategies. She centers empathy and empowerment in the work, helping people identify realistic goals and measurable actions that fit their lives.
Throughout the therapeutic process Bernadette aims to create an atmosphere where progress is steady and personalized. She balances evidence-informed techniques with attention to each client’s values and preferences, helping them develop tools to manage symptoms and strengthen relationships over time.
CBT and DBT Informed Care Delivered Online
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing them against real-world evidence, then building concrete behavioral changes to reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) offers skills in emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness that can help with intense emotions, relationship conflicts, and patterns linked to addictions or self-criticism.
Choosing the right approach is part of the collaborative work in sessions. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences, and what feels most useful for each person, then tailor the mix of CBT and DBT strategies to match those needs. Clients and therapist make adjustments together as progress unfolds so the plan stays practical and relevant.
Online therapy offers flexibility to fit treatment into busy lives through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. These formats make it easier to practice skills between sessions, access support from different locations within Utah, and maintain continuity of care when schedules change. Licensed professionals can guide clients through step-by-step techniques while honoring individual pacing and availability.
Frequently asked questions
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Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
14+ years
Licensed
Utah
Languages
English