Wayland Smith , LCSW

Wayland Smith is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) licensed in Illinois with 38 years of professional experience. He has extensive experience helping people manage stress and anxiety, cope with addictions, navigate family conflicts, and live with bipolar disorder. As an LCSW he combines clinical training with practical, real-world experience to support lasting change.

He believes each person is the expert on their own story and that existing strengths can be mobilized to address current challenges. Therapy with Wayland emphasizes collaboration - identifying goals, building coping skills, and drawing on the client’s abilities to move forward. He recognizes that taking the first step to sign up for therapy often requires courage, and he honors that decision while offering steady, experienced support as clients begin their work.

Evidence-Based Approaches for Online Care

Wayland Smith draws on a range of evidence-based therapeutic techniques tailored to each person's needs. He employs approaches that focus on identifying and changing unhelpful patterns in thinking and behavior to reduce symptoms and improve daily functioning. He also uses family- and relationship-oriented interventions that help address communication problems, resolve conflicts, and strengthen connections among family members. In addition, skills-based strategies are used to build coping tools for managing cravings, mood swings, and stress.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Wayland works with clients to understand their goals, preferences, and life circumstances, and together they decide which techniques are most likely to be helpful. The plan is adjusted over time based on progress and changing needs.

Online therapy offers flexibility and accessibility by allowing work to happen via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit sessions into busy schedules, maintain continuity during life transitions, and connect with a licensed professional from a convenient location.