Marianne Smith , LPC

Marianne Smith is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) practicing in Arizona with 28 years of clinical experience. She has spent her career bearing witness to the resilience people show when faced with trauma, major life changes, and difficult decisions, and she draws energy from the strength and hope she has observed in others.

Her work is informed by an early fascination with human behavior and the ways that biology and life experience shape beliefs and personality. That curiosity led her to pursue higher education later in life after encouragement from a clinical psychologist who became a mentor. She completed both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree before earning state licensure as an LPC, a credential that indicates graduate-level training and authorization to practice counseling.

Marianne brings a friendly, easygoing presence to sessions combined with straightforward, respectful communication. She values diversity and believes people should be free to be themselves without judgment, and she emphasizes authenticity and honesty in the therapeutic relationship. Her aim is to create an accepting atmosphere where people feel seen and valued as they work toward personal goals and greater resilience.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Marianne integrates client-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and dialectical behavior therapy into her work, tailoring these approaches to the needs of each person she sees. Client-centered therapy emphasizes empathy, active listening, and acceptance, helping people build self-awareness and self-worth while navigating relationships and life transitions.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors. It is often used for anxiety, depression, panic symptoms, and mood-related challenges by teaching practical skills to manage thoughts and responses.

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) offers concrete tools for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and improving communication in relationships, which can be helpful for intense emotions, interpersonal conflict, and impulsive behaviors.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Marianne works collaboratively with each person to determine which methods best match their goals, needs, and preferences, and she adapts strategies as progress is made.

Online therapy offers flexibility in how sessions occur - via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging - making it easier to fit care into busy lives and to maintain continuity of support across different circumstances.