- Life purpose exploration
- Addiction and process issues
- Anxiety and stress work
About Nicholas
Nicholas Smith is an Illinois Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) with 13 years of clinical experience. He works with adults who feel stuck after a change in work, relationships, or health, and with people dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, addiction, and questions about life purpose.
Nicholas focuses on helping clients notice how their thoughts and emotions influence choices. He talks through how thought patterns start and where they can be challenged. Sessions aim to make emotions easier to manage so decisions feel less overwhelming.
His background includes work in a student counseling center at Moody Bible Institute, an inpatient psychiatric unit, a drug and alcohol addiction treatment center, and private practice. These settings shaped a practice that blends practical strategies with reflective discussion.
Nicholas draws on approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Existential Therapy, and Mindfulness Therapy. He uses these methods to help people develop clearer values, build coping skills, and reduce the behaviors that keep them stuck.
People meet him to address career uncertainty, relationship and intimacy-related concerns, parenting strain, grief, sleep problems, anger, ADHD-related difficulties, codependency, and process addictions. He invites clients to explore concrete changes and to test new ways of handling decisions and urges.
His style is direct and practical. Nicholas helps people set small, achievable steps that connect with their values and goals. If you want to explore what comes next, he asks you to begin by describing what feels most pressing right now.
How therapeutic approaches guide online sessions
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps clarify what matters most and encourages committed, values-based action even when feelings are difficult. It can help people who feel directionless or who avoid hard choices.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on the link between thoughts, feelings, and behavior. It includes practical exercises to identify unhelpful thinking and replace it with strategies that reduce anxiety, improve sleep, or change compulsive responses.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) provides concrete skills for managing intense emotions and urges. It is useful for people who struggle with impulse control, anger, or process addictions.
Nicholas sees finding the right approach as a collaborative process. He will work with each person to decide which methods fit their needs and goals, and will adjust the approach as progress is made.
Specific session formats are not listed here, so confirm current options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when a quick adjustment is needed. Some people prefer phone or video for different reasons such as lower bandwidth needs or avoiding being on camera; discuss preferences when scheduling to find what will work in day-to-day life.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
13+ years
Listed in
Illinois
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does he address?
He works with stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, relationship and intimacy concerns, grief, sleep problems, parenting strain, anger, career questions, ADHD, and life purpose issues.
How would he approach feeling stuck?
He uses approaches that clarify values and change unhelpful thinking. Sessions include examining thought patterns, practicing coping skills, and setting small behavior changes.
How much experience does he have?
He has 13 years of clinical experience working in college counseling, inpatient psychiatric care, addiction treatment, and private practice.
What credential and location apply to his practice?
He is an Illinois LCPC, and his practice is based in Illinois.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the United States work with him?
He does not accept international clients at this time.
What are the session formats and cost structure?
Session formats are not specified here, so confirm current options before booking. Costs vary with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with him?
Choose the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the crisis numbers.