Willow Wakeley-Smith

Empathetic, practical therapy with CBT focus

LCSW Missouri

Experience: 5 years in practice
Focus areas: Stress, Anxiety, Parenting, Bipolar
Approaches: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Client-Centered Therapy
Languages: English

About Willow

Willow Wakeley-Smith brings a practical, skills-focused approach to therapy that emphasizes cognitive behavioral strategies alongside client-centered care. As an LCSW licensed in Missouri, she blends evidence-informed techniques with compassionate attention to each person’s experience, adapting interventions as goals evolve.

Background and approach

With five years of clinical experience working with adults and over a decade in professional roles with children, she draws on that background to address stress, anxiety, depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder, addictions, grief, and related concerns.

Willow frames treatment as a collaborative process, tailoring plans to clients’ priorities and tracking progress to ensure the work produces meaningful changes in daily life. Her practice also covers parenting challenges, relationship and family difficulties, sleep problems, self-esteem, career questions, and coping with life transitions.

Additional focus areas include adoption and foster care, autism and Asperger syndrome, gender dysphoria, hoarding, obsessive-compulsive patterns, and compassion fatigue. She invites prospective clients to connect and explore whether her style and experience fit their needs.

How Willow’s Approaches Translate to Online Therapy

Willow uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help clients identify unhelpful thinking patterns and develop practical skills for managing symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Client-centered therapy informs how she works alongside clients, emphasizing respect, empathy, and collaboration to shape treatment around each person’s values and goals. These approaches are useful for a wide range of concerns including mood disorders, ADHD-related challenges, and coping with life changes.

Choosing the right method is part of the therapeutic process; Willow works collaboratively to determine which techniques fit a client's needs, preferences, and goals. She reviews progress and adjusts strategies over time so therapy remains relevant and focused on meaningful outcomes in daily life.

Online sessions are offered via video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility for different lifestyles and schedules. These options can make it easier to maintain continuity of care around work, parenting, or other commitments while still engaging in structured, skills-based work guided by a licensed professional.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does Willow commonly address?

She works with a broad range of issues including stress, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, ADHD, addictions, grief, parenting challenges, relationship and family problems, trauma and abuse, sleep difficulties, and self-esteem.

What therapeutic style can I expect in sessions?

The approach combines cognitive behavioral techniques with client-centered methods and other tools such as mindfulness and motivational interviewing to fit individual needs and goals.

How much clinical experience does this therapist have?

She has five years of clinical work with adults and more than ten years of professional experience working with children in related roles.

What are the therapist's credentials and where are they licensed?

Willow Wakeley-Smith holds an LCSW and is licensed in Missouri with licence number MO LCSW 2024010996.

Can I work with her in a language other than English?

Sessions are offered in English; she is not documented as offering services in other languages and is not accepting international clients.

Which session formats are available for online work?

She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different preferences and schedules.

How is cost handled for sessions?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability, and sessions are provided through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.

What should I do to begin working with this therapist?

Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions based on the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyParenting issuesBipolar disorderDepression ADHD

Also works with

AddictionsLGBTRelationship issuesFamily conflictsTrauma and abuse GriefSleeping disordersSelf esteemCareer difficultiesCoping with life changes Compassion fatigue

Additional focus areas

Adoption and foster careAntisocial personalityAutism and Asperger SyndromeBody imageCaregiver issues and stressCommunication problemsControl issuesFamily problemsGender dysphoriaHoardingImpulsivity Isolation / lonelinessLife purposeMood disorders Obsessions, compulsions, and OCDPersonality disordersSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-loveSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Gottman MethodMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

5+ years

Licensed

Missouri

Languages

English