- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy
About Elisa
Elisa Mantel-Smith is a licensed clinical social worker in New York with 10 years of experience. She holds a Master of Social Work from Columbia University and works with concerns such as stress, anxiety, relationship and family issues, grief, parenting, addictions, trauma and abuse, eating concerns, anger, self-esteem, depression and coping with life changes.
Elisa draws on straightforward, practical methods in sessions. She uses client-centered listening to understand what matters most to each person. She also applies cognitive behavioral ideas to help people spot unhelpful thoughts and build different habits.
Her work includes attention to adoption and foster care, autism and Asperger syndrome, caregiver stress, fertility and cancer-related concerns, and issues like obsessive or compulsive behaviors, panic, and phobias. She helps people talk through intimacy-related issues, body image, and codependency in clear, step-by-step ways.
Sessions emphasize collaboration and measurable steps. Elisa blends emotionally-focused and solution-focused techniques so people can identify feelings and try practical changes between meetings. She also brings trauma-focused tools when past events are affecting day-to-day life.
Her background includes individual, family, and group work around health, fertility and loss. People who want to start are asked to complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule an initial session to discuss goals and next steps.
Therapeutic approaches and how they work online
Client-centered therapy focuses on the person in front of the therapist. It starts with listening and understanding what matters most, then supports the client to set their own goals. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, helps people notice patterns of thinking and behavior that increase anxiety or avoidance, and then practice small changes to reduce their impact. Emotionally-Focused Therapy looks at how feelings show up in relationships and helps people name emotions and respond differently to one another.Finding the right approach is part of the work. Elisa will talk with each person about their goals and preferences, and together they will choose which methods to try. That collaborative process helps match practical techniques to the situations that cause the most difficulty, such as panic, phobias, or anxiety in social settings.
The profile does not list specific session formats, so confirm the available options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into busy days, shorten travel time, or allow a quieter check-in during a break. Therapists can use these formats to practice exposure steps, review homework, and check progress between meetings.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
10+ years
Listed in
New York
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, relationship and family problems as well as grief, parenting, addictions, trauma, eating concerns, anger, self-esteem and related issues including phobias.
What is her approach in sessions?
She uses client-centered listening alongside cognitive behavioral and emotionally-focused methods, with solution-focused and trauma-informed techniques when helpful.
How much clinical experience does she have?
Elisa has about 10 years of experience working with individuals, families, and groups on health, fertility, loss, and other life issues.
What credential does she hold and where is she based?
She is an LCSW-R licensed in New York and practices from New York.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can I have online or remote sessions?
Confirm current session options before booking, since session formats are not specified in the profile.
How are costs handled?
Cost varies with location; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin if I want to meet with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.