01 · Who Joanna works with

Joanna works with stress, Anxiety, LGBT and relationship issues

Joanna lists 15 specialisms and 30 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Joanna chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Joanna's own words

What Joanna says about the work

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

As a dedicated therapist, I specialize in supporting individuals navigating complex life challenges with compassion and expertise. My practice focuses on helping clients address stress, anxiety, relationship dynamics, and personal growth. I have a deep commitment to creating an affirming space for LGBTQ+ individuals and those exploring identity, sexuality, and interpersonal relationships.

My therapeutic approach centers on empowering clients to develop self-love, improve communication, and heal from past experiences. I offer supportive guidance for individuals working through workplace challenges, mood disorders, trauma, and relationship transitions. With a trauma-informed and client-centered approach, I help people develop resilience, process difficult emotions, and create meaningful personal transformation.

I understand that seeking therapy takes courage, and I'm committed to walking alongside you with respect, understanding, and genuine care. Together, we can explore your unique strengths and develop strategies that support your emotional well-being and personal growth.

Joanna Smith, on the BetterHelp listing · read 10 Oct 2026

03 · How Joanna works

The 8 approaches Joanna lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Joanna lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Joanna'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 Joanna runs a session.

Acceptance and Commitment TherapyACT

Rather than trying to argue a painful thought away, ACT works on loosening its grip and getting on with what matters to you anyway. Sessions spend real time naming your values, then building action around them while difficult feelings are still present.

Attachment-Based Therapy

Reads present-day relationship difficulty through the lens of how safety and closeness were learned early on. The therapeutic relationship itself is treated as part of the work, because it is where the pattern tends to show up first.

Emotionally Focused TherapyEFT

Built for couples and rooted in attachment: the recurring argument is treated as a cycle two people are stuck in rather than as one person's fault. Sessions work to interrupt the cycle and get to what each person is actually asking for underneath it.

Eye Movement Desensitisation and ReprocessingEMDR

A structured trauma protocol in which you hold a distressing memory in mind while following a repeated side-to-side cue. The mechanism is still debated; the outcome data in post-traumatic stress is strong enough that it appears in national treatment guidelines.

Mindfulness-Based TherapyMBCT

Trains attention on what is happening right now - body, breath, the thought as it arrives - so distress can be observed rather than automatically acted on. Strongest evidence is in preventing depression from recurring, and it is usually taught as a practice you keep doing outside the session.

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.

Trauma-Focused TherapyTF-CBT · trauma-informed

CBT adapted for people whose difficulty is rooted in a frightening or overwhelming event. Pacing is the point: safety and stabilisation come first, the memory itself is approached gradually and only when you are ready, and the aim is that recalling it stops hijacking the present.

Internal Family SystemsIFS

Treats the mind as made up of parts - the critic, the one who withdraws, the one that keeps everything running - each of which is trying to protect you. The work is getting to know them rather than overruling them.

Also listed

• Somatic Therapy

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Joanna 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 Joanna'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 Joanna at this point.

2. Naming Joanna specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Joanna 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 Joanna.

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

3 questions worth asking Joanna

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

• “You list both Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing and Attachment-Based 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.

• “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

LPC

Licensed in

Arizona

Licence

AZ LPC LPC-24879

Licence number

LPC-24879

Licence expires

30 Apr 2028

NPI

1922831668

Years in practice

4

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

12 Jun 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Joanna'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 10 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 Joanna. 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.