Beverly Smith

Beverly Smith is a licensed clinical social worker with 20 years of experience. She draws on a background that includes nursing, clinical social work, and work in adoption and foster care settings to support people facing difficult life challenges.

She uses Trauma-Focused Therapy alongside client-centered methods to help people who have experienced abuse or other traumatic events. She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Narrative Therapy, and mindfulness techniques to address anxiety, depression, grief, and relationship concerns. Sessions emphasize practical strategies and clear steps to manage symptoms and improve day-to-day functioning.

Her experience spans hospitals, clinics, assisted living settings, and adoption and foster care agencies. She has also taught as an adjunct professor at local junior colleges, and has worked with people across a wide age range and life situations. This variety informs a flexible, experience-based approach in sessions.

In the therapy room, Beverly aims to be caring, honest, and straightforward. She focuses on building a working relationship and on tools that people can use between sessions. Conversations tend to be plainspoken, paced to the client's needs, and geared toward achievable goals.

People who are considering therapy are encouraged to use the site's Start Therapy process to match and schedule. Beverly works in Illinois and conducts sessions in English.

How trauma-informed and skill-based approaches work online

Trauma-Focused Therapy helps people process upsetting events and reduce their impact on daily life. It often involves talking through memories at a pace that feels manageable and learning skills to tolerate strong emotions. Client-Centered Therapy centers the person's priorities and values and uses active listening to shape the work. It helps when someone needs a steady, empathic space to sort out decisions and feelings. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors through concrete exercises and practice between sessions; it can be useful for anxiety, depression, and mood changes.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapy process. The therapist will work together with the client to decide which methods fit their goals and preferences. That collaborative process can include trying tools from different approaches and adjusting over time based on what helps most.

Confirm session formats before booking so you know what options are available. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into busy schedules, allow shorter check-ins when time is limited, and reduce travel time. It can also let people use techniques like mindful breathing or worksheets during a session without needing additional materials. If you'd like to proceed, use the Start Therapy button to complete the matching questionnaire and arrange sessions according to the therapist's scheduling process.