01 · Who Lori works with

Lori works with relationship issues, parenting issues and coping with life changes

Lori lists 11 specialisms and 3 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Lori chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Lori's own words

What Lori says about the work

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

I AM SEEING: - Women mid 20's to mid 40's - Life’s adjustments, transitions - Anxiety - Relationship guidance - Parental guidance

I DO NOT SEE: - Men - Couples - EAP - Substance abuse, - Depression, - Psychosis, or any further serious issues.

I see clients as a hammock that has four bars holding them up: Body, Mind, Emotions, and Spirit. We each have weights that we put in our hammocks, both positive and negative stressors. I try to strengthen each pole so that my clients can handle the weight in their “hammocks”.

Body: Breathing, to slower heart rate, exercise to lessen cortisol and create endorphins, sleep that regulates mood and focus. Physical history, medications, etc.

Mind: Identifying the irrational thoughts that we all have, that contribute to stressors. Biblio therapies, communication skills, career development.

Emotions: Process how to express emotions, how they affect thinking, feeling, and perceiving. Need for positive peer group, and community.

Spirit: Opportunity to explore spiritual growth, especially when your body, mind, and emotions are worn out!

Lori Smith, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Lori works

The 1 approach Lori lists, in plain English

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

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.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Lori 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 Lori'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 Lori at this point.

2. Naming Lori specifically

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

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

2 questions worth asking Lori

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

• “With 27 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

LPC

Licensed in

Virginia

Licence

VA LPC 0701002629

Licence number

0701002629

Licence expires

30 Jun 2027

NPI

1649696758

Years in practice

27

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Lori'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 Lori. 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.