About Nicholas
Nicholas Smith helps people who feel stuck, overwhelmed, unmotivated, or ready for a major life change. He writes plainly and listens closely to learn what matters to each person. Sessions focus on practical steps and clearer thinking so clients can move toward their values and goals.
He explains how thoughts and feelings show up and where some patterns begin. Then he works with clients to test and shift those patterns.
Background and approach
The aim is greater emotional control and more purposeful action in daily life. Nicholas brings 13 years of experience in a range of settings. He has worked in a student counseling center, an inpatient psychiatric unit, a drug and alcohol treatment center, and independent practice.
That variety informs how he tailors sessions to individual needs. His approach blends mindfulness and acceptance ideas with cognitive and behavioral techniques. He also draws on skills from dialectical behavior therapy and existential thinking when they fit a client's concerns.
This mix helps him address issues from anxiety to addictions and life purpose. People often come for help with stress, anxiety, depression, sleep problems, relationship and intimacy issues, or challenges like codependency, commitment fears, and process addictions. He also supports work on self-esteem, anger, career choices, parenting strain, grief, and ADHD-related struggles.
Nicholas holds an IL LCPC and frames therapy as a collaborative process. He aims to create clear steps, reduce overwhelm, and help clients move toward meaningful change.
How ACT, CBT, and DBT translate to online care
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them, then choose actions that match their values. It can be useful for life changes, low motivation, and long-term anxiety. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing them with real-life experiments to reduce symptoms like worry, low mood, and sleep problems. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) offers concrete skills for managing strong emotions, improving relationships, and reducing impulsive behaviors like process addiction.Finding the right approach is part of the work. Nicholas will collaborate with clients to pick methods that fit their goals, pace, and preferences. He adapts techniques over time, combining elements from different approaches when that better serves the person's progress.
Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video sessions allow face-to-face conversation and guided exercises. Phone calls can be a lower-bandwidth choice for check-ins. Live chat or text messaging work well for short check-ins, ongoing coaching, or when writing feels easier. These formats make it simpler to schedule sessions around work, parenting, or travel while keeping consistent therapeutic momentum.
Questions people ask
What concerns does Nicholas address?
How would he describe his therapeutic style?
What is his professional background?
What credentials and location apply?
Which languages are supported and can international clients join?
What session formats are available?
How does pricing work?
What are the first steps to begin therapy?
What this counselor works with
Also listed
- Addictions
- ADHD
- Anger management
- Career difficulties
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Control issues
- Dependent personality
- Depression
- Emptiness
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Intimacy-related issues
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Parenting issues
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Relationship issues
- Sleeping disorders
- Social anxiety and phobia
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 13 years
- Licensed
- Illinois
- Languages
- English