- CBT and mindfulness
- Practical coping skills
- Parenting support
About Colleen
Colleen Canfield-Smith is an LMHC (Licensed Mental Health Counselor) with 21 years of experience based in New York. She works with stress, anxiety, parenting challenges, self-esteem concerns, depression, ADHD, relationship and family difficulties, grief, anger, coping with life changes, and compassion fatigue. She also focuses on blended family issues, mood disorders, social anxiety and phobia, and young adult issues.
Colleen uses plain, practical conversation and active listening in sessions. She encourages people to name what feels hard and to try small steps that make daily life easier. She often introduces simple breathing and relaxation techniques during early meetings to help manage intense moments.
Her background includes work in schools, hospitals, community service agencies, and primary care settings. She also draws on years of parenting experience. That mix informs how she talks about time management, setting limits, and shifting expectations when life gets overloaded.
Colleen combines Client-Centered Therapy with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Solution-Focused Therapy in her approach. That means she pays attention to what someone wants to change, looks at thoughts and patterns that keep problems going, and helps set short-term goals to try different responses. She adds mindfulness exercises and relaxation practice when useful.
Sessions focus on clear, doable strategies: identifying a few targets, practicing new responses, and checking what changed. People leave with concrete steps they can try between meetings. She asks about strengths and past successes to build on what already works.
How Colleen works with CBT, client-centered and mindfulness online
Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes listening and reflecting back what someone says so goals become clearer. It helps when someone wants to talk through personal priorities and set their own pace for change.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at thoughts and behaviors that keep stress and anxiety active. It uses short exercises and small experiments to test different responses and reduce worry or avoidance over time.
Mindfulness techniques teach simple attention and breathing practices to calm the body and notice difficult thoughts without acting on them. These practices can be used alongside CBT exercises or on their own to manage intense moments.
Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. The therapist collaborates with each person to choose the methods that match their needs, goals, and preferences. That means trying one thing, checking how it goes, and adjusting the plan together.
Session formats are not specified in the biography, so confirm current options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and remove travel time from the day. They also make it possible to practice skills in everyday settings and to bring real-life examples into sessions for discussion.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
21+ years
Listed in
Massachusetts, New York
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she help with?
Colleen works with stress, anxiety, parenting, self-esteem, depression, ADHD, relationship and family problems, grief, anger, and coping with life changes. She also lists blended family issues, mood disorders, social anxiety and phobia, and young adult issues.
What is her style in sessions?
She uses straightforward conversation, active listening, and practical exercises. Sessions often include breathing, relaxation, and mindfulness practices when helpful.
How long has she been practicing?
She has 21 years of experience working in schools, hospitals, community agencies, and primary care settings.
What are her credentials and location?
She holds an MA and is an LMHC licensed in New York. Her practice is based in New York.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are sessions scheduled and what about cost?
Cost varies with location and sessions are provided through a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin a first session?
Click the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.