Claudia Smith, LCSW
Licensed in California · 40 years in practice
Claudia Smith brings 40 years of experience as a licensed clinical social worker in California.
License and registration
- LCSW, California
- 11171 · expires August 2026
- NPI
- 1356008932 · national provider identifier
- Years in practice
- 40
- Languages
- English
Details are as listed on the therapist's public professional profile. You can check any license with the state board and any NPI with the national registry.
About Claudia
Claudia Smith brings 40 years of experience as a licensed clinical social worker in California. She centers sessions on the person in front of her, listening first and building from what already works in a client's life. Claudia supports people facing stress, anxiety, depression, addiction concerns, and struggles with self-esteem and motivation.
Her approach is practical and straightforward. She helps clients break big problems into small, doable steps. Conversations focus on coping skills, solving immediate problems, and strengthening resilience.
Background and approach
Claudia also pays attention to life transitions, grief, and issues tied to adoption and foster care. Claudia uses a mix of client-centered work, mindfulness, and skills-based strategies to help people manage intense emotions and impulsivity. She often includes techniques from Dialectical Behavior Therapy to teach emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness.
Solution-focused methods help clients set clear goals and track progress between sessions. People who value a collaborative, respectful tone tend to do well with her. She helps clients explore family of origin patterns, blended family challenges, and fatherhood concerns while keeping therapy grounded and actionable.
Claudia also addresses chronic illness, codependency, and substance-related issues with compassion. Language of care is plain and direct. She works with people who want to feel more confident, steady, and purposeful.
Claudia supports practical steps toward better day-to-day coping and clearer choices about life direction.
Focus areas and approaches
Everything Claudia lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Self esteem
- Depression
- ADHD
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Bipolar disorder
- Coaching
- Adoption and foster care
- Attachment issues
- Avoidant personality
- Blended family issues
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Divorce and separation
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Family of origin issues
- Fatherhood issues
- Guilt and shame
- HIV / AIDS
- Impulsivity
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Personality disorders
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic stress
- Self-harm
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Traumatic brain injury
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Claudia names
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
Naming an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist lists and does not check training records.
Online support
How Claudia Uses Practical Therapies Online
Claudia draws on client-centered work to keep sessions focused on each person's experience and priorities. This approach means the conversation starts with what matters most to the client, and the therapist follows the person's lead to build strategies that fit their life.She also uses Dialectical Behavior Therapy - DBT - skills to help people manage strong emotions and reduce impulsive reactions. DBT teaches clear tools for handling distress, improving relationships, and tolerating hard moments without making them worse.
Finding the right mix of methods is part of the work together. Claudia will help decide which approaches match a person's goals, needs, and preferences, and she adjusts strategies as progress is made. That collaborative process helps tailor the online sessions to real-world changes someone wants to see.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video sessions allow face-to-face conversation. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited. Short check-ins via chat or text can help maintain momentum between appointments and fit into busy days. These options make therapy more flexible and easier to fit into work, family, or travel schedules.
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Questions people ask
What concerns does Claudia help with?
She helps people with stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, low self-esteem, ADHD, bipolar concerns, grief, and life purpose questions.
What is her general therapy style?
Sessions are collaborative and straightforward. Claudia listens, then helps set small steps and practical goals.
How much clinical experience does she have?
Claudia has 40 years of professional work experience as a clinician in California.
What are her credentials and location?
She is a licensed clinical social worker, LCSW, practicing in California.
Which languages are supported and are international clients accepted?
Sessions are offered in English and Claudia accepts international clients.
What session formats are available?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different needs.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.
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