- Values-based work
- Practical emotion skills
- Addiction support focus
About Nicholas
Nicholas Smith is a licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC) with 13 years of experience. He helps people who feel stuck, overwhelmed, or ready to make a change. He focuses on practical steps people can use to manage strong emotions and move toward their values and goals.
Sessions with Nicholas aim to show how a person’s thoughts shape feelings and choices. He works with clients to identify where unhelpful thought patterns start and how to challenge them for healthier outcomes. The language in sessions is straightforward and focused on usable tools rather than long theory talks.
His background includes time in a student counseling center at Moody Bible Institute, work on a hospital inpatient psychiatric unit, private practice, and a drug and alcohol addiction treatment center. Those settings shaped his approach to crisis, addiction, and everyday life struggles.
Nicholas draws on several approaches to match a person’s needs, including cognitive behavioral ideas, mindfulness, and acceptance-based strategies. He combines these with practical skill building so people can try new ways of coping between sessions.
People contact him for a range of concerns such as stress, anxiety, depression, parenting strain, relationship and intimacy issues, addictions, grief, sleep problems, anger, career concerns, and attention difficulties. He aims to walk alongside clients with compassion while helping them take concrete steps toward change.
How therapeutic approaches guide online work
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, focuses on helping people clarify what matters to them and take committed steps toward those values while learning to make space for difficult thoughts and feelings. It is useful for life transitions, low motivation, and persistent worry.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and actions and teaches specific strategies to test and change unhelpful thinking. CBT is often used for anxiety, depression, sleep issues, and managing everyday stress.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, teaches concrete skills for emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and improving relationships. These skills can help with intense emotions, anger, and patterns that keep repeating.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will discuss goals and preferences and then offer a mix of strategies to try together. Sessions are collaborative and adjusted as needs change rather than sticking to one fixed method.
Confirm current session options before booking to know which formats are available. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when schedules demand it, or remove travel time so a person can use those minutes for self-care or errands. Licensed professionals can deliver the same practical skill teaching, planning, and follow-up work online as in person, while tailoring pace and tools to everyday life.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
13+ years
Listed in
Illinois
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What issues does Nicholas commonly address?
Nicholas works with a wide range of concerns including stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, parenting strain, relationship and intimacy issues, grief, sleep problems, anger, career questions, and ADHD.
What is his general approach in sessions?
He uses clear, practical methods like cognitive behavioral techniques, acceptance and mindfulness tools, and skills from dialectical behavior therapy to help people manage emotions and change unhelpful thinking.
How much experience does he have?
He has 13 years of clinical experience across student counseling, hospital inpatient psychiatric care, private practice, and addiction treatment settings.
What credential does he hold and where is he based?
He holds an LCPC credential and practices in Illinois.
Which languages are available for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with him?
He does not accept international clients at this time.
How does pricing work for sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with him?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to the therapist's availability.