- Client-centered care
- CBT and mindfulness
- Adoption and foster care
About Willow
Willow Wakeley-Smith is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who focuses on practical, person-centered care. She helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression, ADHD, and parenting challenges. Her approach aims to make therapy feel usable in day-to-day life.
Willow builds treatment plans around each person's unique needs and goals. She emphasizes respect, sensitivity, and compassion while adjusting the plan as progress is made. She is clear about wanting to see real-life results from the work clients invest in.
Her background includes more than a decade of professional experience working with children in educational settings, and five years of clinical practice working with adults who have moderate to significant mental health concerns. That combination informs how she supports parenting issues and other life stresses.
In sessions she uses client-centered techniques to create a collaborative space. She also draws on cognitive behavioral methods to help change unhelpful thoughts and routines. Mindfulness practices and motivational interviewing are used when people want tools for focus, emotion regulation, or building motivation.
Willow practices in Missouri and holds an MO LCSW credential. Sessions are conducted in English. If adoption and foster care is a concern, she notes that as an area of additional focus and can discuss relevant supports during an initial conversation.
How Willow’s approaches translate to online work
Willow often uses client-centered methods that focus on the person's goals and experience. In practice this means conversations are guided by what matters most to the client, and the therapist adjusts the pace and topics to fit each person's needs.She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which breaks problems into thoughts, feelings, and actions. CBT helps people spot unhelpful thinking and practice small behavior changes to reduce anxiety, manage mood, or improve sleep.
Finding the right method is part of the work together. Willow will collaborate with each client to decide which approaches to try first and will adjust as needs and goals change. That collaborative process helps people feel more comfortable trying strategies that fit their life.
Session formats were not specified in the supplied biography, so please confirm current online options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. Licensed professionals can adapt tools like CBT worksheets, mindfulness exercises, and motivational interviewing prompts to remote sessions to keep therapy practical and goal oriented.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
5+ years
Credentials
Missouri
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does Willow help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, ADHD, parenting issues, trauma and related concerns listed in her specialties. Adoption and foster care is noted as an additional focus area.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Willow emphasizes client-centered care and practical skills. She combines that with cognitive behavioral and mindfulness techniques to help people change patterns and manage emotions.
What is her professional background?
She has more than ten years of professional experience in school settings and five years of clinical work with adults. That mix informs her work on parenting and adult mental health concerns.
What credentials and location are on file?
Willow holds an MO LCSW and practices in Missouri. The listing uses the LCSW credential as provided.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English only.
Are international clients accepted?
International clients are not currently accepted according to the provided information.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability, and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and scheduling based on therapist availability.