Rena Smith, LCSW

Rena Smith is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Louisiana with 23 years of professional experience. She works with people facing stress and anxiety, addictions, relationship concerns, trauma and abuse, and related challenges. She describes clients as the experts on their own lives and focuses on practical steps to address present difficulties.

In sessions she listens for strengths people already use and builds on them. She prefers straightforward conversation about what is happening now and what the person wants to change. That can include setting short-term goals, trying new ways to respond to stress, or practicing different ways of managing cravings and urges.

Rena uses methods that help people notice thoughts and choose actions that match their values. She also draws on approaches that focus on problem-solving and on supporting motivation to change. These methods are often paired with conversations about how relationships and past experiences affect current behavior.

Her work includes support for people dealing with grief, career strain, parenting pressures, and anger. She also helps with concerns linked to personality patterns such as avoidant or dependent tendencies, codependency, and obsessive-compulsive patterns. Issues related to HIV/AIDS, multicultural concerns, and family of origin also appear in her practice.

Sessions tend to be pragmatic and goal-oriented while keeping the person’s own priorities central. Rena asks about what a better week would look like, then breaks that down into small steps. The focus is on manageable change and clearer choices rather than long theoretical explanations.

How therapeutic approaches guide online sessions