Elizabeth Smith

Hello, I'm Elizabeth. Whatever the challenges, you do not have to navigate them alone. I believe meaningful change is facilitated through empathic, authentic connection in an emotionally safe space free from judgment. A strong therapeutic connection can provide the security and trust needed to explore the parts of ourselves we often hide - parts shaped by past experiences, relationships, and wounds that may leave us feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, ashamed, or stuck. It's such an honor to support my clients as they heal, strengthen relationships with themselves and others, and move toward greater insight and well-being. After 23 years working in the public sector, I am opening Woodsong Therapy - a place where I can offer the in-depth, client-centered care people deserve. _____________________________________________________ INDIVIDUAL THERAPY FOR ADULTS Maybe you’ve been struggling for a while, or something has made life suddenly harder. You may feel anxious, overwhelmed, lonely, or simply not like yourself. You might be hard on yourself, worry about disappointing others, or agree to things you don’t really want - only to feel resentful or depleted afterward. Some days, you keep up with everything, and no one would know how much you’re carrying. Other days, getting through what needs to be done feels like more than you have to give. You may be struggling with low mood, high anxiety, self-esteem, boundaries, people-pleasing, relationship difficulties. Or perhaps you can’t quite name what’s wrong - you just know something isn’t working anymore. I support individuals who feel anxious, overwhelmed, disconnected, hard on themselves, or stuck in patterns they understand but can't seem to change, including those carrying deeper developmental, relational, sexual, or complex trauma. With warmth, curiosity, and compassion, I help you look beneath the symptoms to understand the experiences, emotional wounds, and ways your mind and body learned to protect you. Together, we work not only to manage what you're feeling, but to gently heal what's underneath and help the past have less power over the present. The goal is to help you feel more grounded and secure, more compassionate toward yourself, more trusting of your needs and boundaries, and freer to live and connect in ways that feel true to who you are. _____________________________________________________ INDIVIDUAL THERAPY FOR TEENS Being a teenager means trying to figure out who you are while school, friendships, family, relationships, social media, expectations, and everyone else’s opinions come at you all at once. Maybe you feel anxious, sad, angry, or overwhelmed and don’t completely know why. School feels impossible, you’re pulling away from people, or you’re overthinking everything. You might want everyone to leave you alone, but still wish someone would notice you’re not okay. You don’t need to have the words for what’s happening before we can start talking about it. What you’re feeling may also be connected to things you’ve been through - conflict at home, loss, rejection, bullying, criticism, instability, painful relationships, or not getting the support you needed. Experiences like these can show up as anxiety, anger, shutting down, trying to keep everyone happy, being hard on yourself, or feeling like you have to handle everything alone. I’ve spent more than two decades working with teenagers, first as a high school counselor and now as a therapist. I’m not here to judge you, lecture you, or make therapy another thing you have to be good at. We’ll begin with what’s actually happening in your life. I’ll listen, ask questions, be honest with you, and help you understand what’s underneath what you’re feeling. There’ll be room for the serious things, the everyday things, and definitely some humor. _____________________________________________________ COUPLES AND RELATIONAL THERAPY If you keep having the same fight. It's usually about something deeper. It starts with the dishes. A text. The in-laws. Money. Sex. Who's doing more.And somehow you end up in the same place. One of you pushes harder to be heard while the other becomes defensive, shuts down, or walks away. The more one reaches, the more the other retreats - and eventually you're both left feeling misunderstood and alone. You may care deeply but have no idea how to stop hurting each other. Maybe affection and sex have changed. You've become excellent co-parents or household managers but aren't sure where your relationship went. Maybe something happened that shook the foundation completely. Infidelity, secrecy, betrayal, or broken trust can leave one partner wondering what's real and the other wondering whether anything they do will ever be enough to repair the damage. My couples work is grounded in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, an attachment-based approach that gets underneath the argument. I help couples who care about each other but feel disconnected, stuck in painful patterns, strained by life or family pressures, or hurt by relationship wounds. With warmth, curiosity, and compassion, I help you slow down and look beneath the conflict to understand the feelings, needs, fears, and reactions driving the cycle between you. Rather than focusing on who's right or wrong, we'll work together to help both of you feel heard and understood, heal relationship wounds, rebuild trust, and connect differently. Together, we work toward greater emotional safety, closeness, and a stronger sense that you're on the same team. _____________________________________________________ DIVORCE, SEPARATION & CO-PARENTING Ending a relationship is hard enough. When you have children together, there’s another layer to almost every decision. You may be grieving, angry, hurt, relieved, or uncertain as you make decisions about schedules, homes, holidays, school, finances, and what to tell your children. At the same time, you’re creating a new kind of relationship with someone you may still be emotionally separating from. The relationship as a couple may be ending, but you both remain parents to children you love. As your children adjust, they may feel sad, angry, anxious, confused, relieved, or many things at once. They may have questions they don’t know how to ask or worry about how each parent is doing. Everyone in the family is finding their way through something new. Together, we’ll work toward clearer, less emotionally charged communication, boundaries that fit your new relationship, and ways to keep past pain from taking over parenting conversations in the present. We’ll also focus on what your children need to feel secure, express complicated feelings, and stay connected to each parent. The goal isn’t perfect co-parenting. It’s creating a way of parenting together that feels more manageable, predictable, and centered on your children. Your family is changing, but with care and support, you can build a new way of being a family. _____________________________________________________ GROUP THERAPY To help individuals find healing and support within a caring community, I strive to consistently offer group therapy. Group therapy is often seen as a supplemental or less effective form of support, but nothing could be further from the truth. Group therapy can be a source of deep healing within a supportive community of people who resonate with our struggles on an intimate level. Life can be very isolating, and we all need community now more than ever. Group therapy is a cost-effective and equally beneficial form of therapy for many issues and concerns. If I have enough interest, I would love to offer three groups to start in early fall 2026. Please call or email to set up a free intake conversation and to be added to the participation list. * Divorce or separation _____________________________________________________