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LCSW

Claudia Smith, LCSW

  • Experience40 years
  • LocationCalifornia
  • Focus areasADHD, Stress and Anxiety, and Addictions
  • Therapy approachesClient-Centered Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
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About Claudia

Claudia Smith is a California-licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with four decades of experience helping people navigate stress, anxiety, addictions, low self-esteem, depression, and ADHD.

Background and approach

She frames therapy around each person’s strengths, treating clients as experts on their own lives and partnering with them to build clearer motivation, greater confidence, and more satisfying daily functioning. Her long career includes work across mood disorders, grief, family dynamics, and recovery-related concerns.

Claudia uses evidence-informed methods to tailor support to practical goals, whether that means addressing impulsivity, dealing with life transitions, or exploring deeper attachment and family-of-origin patterns. She also brings attention to areas such as adoption and foster care, chronic illness and pain, codependency, and questions about life purpose.

Her approach emphasizes empathy, collaboration, and gradual skill-building so clients can take meaningful steps toward the changes they want to see.

Approach-driven online care and flexible formats

Claudia integrates client-centered therapy to create a respectful, collaborative space where the client’s priorities shape the work; this approach emphasizes listening, validation, and building on existing strengths to address stress, motivation, and self-esteem concerns. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) principles feature when clients need practical skills for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and managing impulsivity, which can be helpful for anxiety, addictions, and mood shifts.

Choosing the right therapeutic approach is a collaborative process. Claudia will work with each person to explore which methods align with their goals, preferences, and day-to-day realities, adjusting techniques over time as needs evolve and progress becomes clearer.

Online sessions are offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to increase accessibility and fit into busy schedules. These remote formats allow regular contact and flexible scheduling so clients can pursue consistent work on priorities like coping skills, relapse prevention, grief processing, or life-purpose exploration without major travel or timing barriers.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does Claudia commonly address?
She works with stress, anxiety, addictions, depression, self-esteem issues, ADHD, bipolar symptoms, grief, and a broad range of life challenges listed in her specialties.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her practice emphasizes a client-centered stance that combines practical skills from DBT and solution-focused ideas with mindfulness to support coping and goal progress.
What is her professional background?
Claudia brings 40 years of professional experience to her clinical work, spanning mood disorders, addiction-related concerns, and family and attachment issues.
Where is Claudia licensed and practicing?
She is a licensed clinical social worker with the California license number CA LCSW 11171 and practices from California.
Does she work with clients who live outside the United States?
Yes, she accepts international clients and conducts sessions with people residing in other countries.
In what formats are sessions offered?
Sessions are available as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to accommodate different communication preferences.
How are fees and payment handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions operate through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What steps are needed to begin working together?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, fill out a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyAddictionsSelf esteemDepressionADHD

Also works with

Family conflictsGriefBipolar disorderCoaching

Additional focus areas

Adoption and foster careAttachment issuesAvoidant personalityBlended family issuesChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCodependencyDivorce and separationDrug and alcohol addictionFamily of origin issuesFatherhood issuesGuilt and shameHIV / AIDSImpulsivityJealousyLife purposeVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMood disordersMulticultural concernsObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksPersonality disordersPhobiasPost-traumatic stressSelf-harmSexual assault and abuseSocial anxiety and phobiaTraumatic brain injuryWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Client-Centered TherapyDialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Mindfulness TherapySolution-Focused Therapy

Experience

40+ years

Licensed

California

Languages

English