01 · Who Cortney works with

Cortney works with stress, Anxiety, relationship issues and anger management

Cortney lists 15 specialisms and 13 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Cortney chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Cortney's own words

What Cortney says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

Hello, my name is Cortney. I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. I have been working as a mental health therapist for over 13 years. Most of my experience has been working in community clinics, with adult clients providing traditional face to face therapy. For the past 8 years I've been providing teletherapy through BetterHelp. My experience includes working with clients with a wide range of mental health disorders (mild life stressors, change, relationship issues, anxiety, depression, bipolar, psychosis, trauma, anger management, co-occurring disorders). My education includes a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, a Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling, and 1,000 clinical hours as a mental health intern in various placements. My treatment approach is person centered; I want to meet you where you're at. I want to know what your wants/needs are so I can help you achieve your goals using a solution focused and cognitive behavioral therapy approach. My goal is to help support and guide you, ultimately while you're the one coming to conclusions and making appropriate changes to help you make progress/achieve your goals. It takes a lot a lot of courage and strength to take this first step and I'm proud of you! I look forward to working with you!

Please be advised that my current office hours are Monday 9:30am-3:30pm, Tuesday 9am-3pm, and every other Friday 9:30am-2:30pm EST. I try my best to accommodate evening appointments when necessary, but if you're primarily looking for consistent appointments outside of these hours a counselor with more availability may be better suited for you.

Cortney (Bota) Smith, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Cortney works

The 4 approaches Cortney lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Cortney lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Cortney's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Cortney runs a session.

Client-Centred TherapyPerson-centred · Rogerian

The therapist does not steer toward a technique or a diagnosis. They offer sustained, non-judgemental attention and reflect back what they hear, on the premise that people find their own direction when they are genuinely listened to. Often what people mean by “someone who just gets it”.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

Motivational InterviewingMI

A way of talking about change with somebody who is genuinely in two minds about it. The therapist does not argue for the change; they help you say your own reasons out loud, which is the part that predicts whether it happens. Common around substance use and health behaviour.

Solution-Focused Brief TherapySFBT

Starts from where you want to end up rather than from how you got here. Sessions look for the times the problem is already smaller and work out what is different about those, so the number of sessions tends to be short and the work concrete.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Cortney practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Cortney's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Cortney at this point.

2. Naming Cortney specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Cortney is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Cortney.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

4 questions worth asking Cortney

Built from what Cortney actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Cortney's - Cortney has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Client-Centred Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “With 15 years in, what has changed most in how you work?”

  Long experience is only an advantage if it has been examined. This tends to surface whether it has.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LMHC

Licensed in

New York

Licence

NY LMHC 007249

Licence number

007249

Licence expires

30 Nov 2027

NPI

1235574344

Years in practice

15

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

9 Jun 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Cortney's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 9 Oct 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Cortney. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.