- Thoughts and habits
- Trauma-informed methods
- Practical coping skills
About Shanua
Shanua Smith is a licensed counselor who helps people facing stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship strain, and other everyday struggles. She brings 19 years of experience in South Dakota and focuses on practical steps people can use right away. Shanua communicates plainly and aims to make therapy feel understandable and manageable for busy lives.
Her sessions center on listening first and then building strategies together. She uses client-centered methods to follow what matters most to each person. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is part of her work when thoughts and everyday habits are getting in the way. EMDR and trauma-focused tools are available for people dealing with past hurts.
Shanua works with issues that show up across life - grief, addiction, anger, sleep and eating concerns, parenting stress, career strain, and challenges with intimacy or self-esteem. She also supports people coping with attachment wounds, abandonment fears, autism-related concerns, and caregiver stress. Her aim is to make progress feel concrete rather than vague.
In sessions she focuses on skills that fit daily routines. That might mean reframing unhelpful thoughts, practicing new ways to communicate, or pacing work through difficult memories. Motivational Interviewing helps when someone feels stuck and wants to find their own reasons to change.
Shanua invites people to take small, steady steps toward relief. She emphasizes collaboration and practical tools so changes can stick beyond the therapy hour.
Her sessions center on listening first and then building strategies together. She uses client-centered methods to follow what matters most to each person. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is part of her work when thoughts and everyday habits are getting in the way. EMDR and trauma-focused tools are available for people dealing with past hurts.
Shanua works with issues that show up across life - grief, addiction, anger, sleep and eating concerns, parenting stress, career strain, and challenges with intimacy or self-esteem. She also supports people coping with attachment wounds, abandonment fears, autism-related concerns, and caregiver stress. Her aim is to make progress feel concrete rather than vague.
In sessions she focuses on skills that fit daily routines. That might mean reframing unhelpful thoughts, practicing new ways to communicate, or pacing work through difficult memories. Motivational Interviewing helps when someone feels stuck and wants to find their own reasons to change.
Shanua invites people to take small, steady steps toward relief. She emphasizes collaboration and practical tools so changes can stick beyond the therapy hour.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
AddictionsFamily conflictsIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD
Additional focus areas
AbandonmentAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeBody imageCancerCaregiver issues and stressCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceEmptinessForgivenessGuilt and shameHospice and end-of-life counselingImpulsivityIsolation / lonelinessLife purposeMidlife crisisMood disordersObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksPersonality disordersPost-traumatic stressSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-loveSexual assault and abuseSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issues
Therapeutic approaches
Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)Motivational InterviewingTrauma-Focused Therapy
Experience
19+ years
Credentials
South Dakota
Languages
English
How her approaches work online and in practice
Shanua uses Client-Centered Therapy to follow each person's priorities, offering listening and reflection that help people clarify what matters most. This approach is useful when someone needs a space to sort out feelings and decide on next steps.She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and everyday habits and replacing them with more helpful alternatives. CBT is often helpful for anxiety, depression, sleep and eating concerns, and patterns that get in the way of daily functioning.
Shanua views finding the right approach as a team effort. She will discuss options and tailor methods to a person's goals, preferences, and the issues they bring. That collaboration helps shape what therapy looks like over time rather than locking into a single plan up front.
Session formats are not specified in the provided biography, so please confirm current session options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into busy schedules, allow shorter check-ins between longer appointments, or reduce travel time so therapy fits around work and family demands. Licensed professionals can often adjust session length and pacing to match a person's needs, helping carry new ways of thinking and behaving into daily life.
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Shanua commonly address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and relationship difficulties, along with issues like grief, addictions, sleep and eating problems, and parenting stress.
How would you describe her approach in sessions?
She takes a straightforward, client-centered approach that starts with listening and then builds practical strategies tailored to each person's life.
What kind of experience does she bring to therapy?
She has 19 years of experience practicing in South Dakota and has worked with a wide range of emotional and behavioral concerns.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
Shanua holds an LPC-MH credential and practices in South Dakota.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with her?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are sessions handled and what does it cost?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with Shanua?
Select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.