Marlene Smith, LPC

Marlene Smith is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) who helps people facing stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, relationship strain, and depression. She encourages a straightforward, nonjudgmental space where clients can say what’s on their mind. Marlene acknowledges that starting therapy takes courage and aims to make that first step easier for each person.

Her approach focuses on understanding how relationships and past experiences shape current feelings. She uses ways of working that center the client’s perspective and build practical skills for daily life. Sessions often include talking through reactions, trying new ways to respond, and practicing small changes between meetings.

With three years of clinical experience in West Virginia, Marlene has supported people dealing with life transitions and ongoing worries. She also works with concerns related to adoption and foster care, aging and geriatric issues, attachment difficulties, body image, and cancer-related adjustment. Other areas she addresses include communication problems, divorce and separation, and coping after disasters.

Marlene integrates techniques from attachment-based, client-centered, cognitive behavioral, dialectical behavior, and emotionally focused approaches. This means she blends listening and reflection with concrete tools for managing mood and building stronger connections. The goal is to help people find clearer thinking, steadier mood, and better ways to relate to others.

People interested in starting are invited to use the site’s Start Therapy process. The therapist works in English and practices in West Virginia as an LPC.

How Marlene’s approaches work in online therapy

Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on how early and current relationships affect feelings and behavior. It helps people notice patterns in close relationships and try new ways of connecting that feel safer and more satisfying.

Client-Centered Therapy centers the person’s experience. The therapist listens, reflects, and follows the client’s lead so people feel heard and can explore what matters most to them.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) teaches practical tools to change unhelpful thoughts and actions. It often includes short exercises to practice between sessions and can help with anxiety, depression, and daily stress.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Marlene will talk with each person about their goals and preferences and then recommend ways of working together. The choice of methods is a collaborative decision that may shift as needs change.

If you are considering online therapy, confirm the current session options before booking since formats are not listed here. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy schedule, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. Some approaches lend themselves to skills practice between meetings, which can be convenient to use from home or during a break at work. Licensed professionals can adapt these methods to help people manage mood, stress, and relationship concerns in ways that fit everyday life.