Casey Smith
Are you ready to reclaim your story and rediscover your zest for life? This is therapy for those who want to silence the voices that have held them back, embrace their unique journey, and become fierce advocates for themselves and the causes they believe in. Welcome to Therapy for Your Humanity.
Unpack the Unsaid: Radical, Unapologetic Therapy for Life's Messy Realities! You have the right to protect your peace.
If you're tired of feeling unheard, unfulfilled, or disconnected from your purpose, therapy can help you reclaim your power, communicate confidently, set boundaries, and rediscover your joy. This journey is especially transformative if you're an advocate for social justice. My diverse background of advocacy informs my work as a therapist, where I empower clients to explore their zest for life, navigate moral complexities, and become their own best advocates. I believe in the transformative power of simple actions, such as, asking questions, challenging existing narratives, and rewriting past injustices. Our journey will begin by exploring your personal narrative and challenging limiting beliefs. In a safe, supportive space, we'll practice "waging good conflict," empowering you to communicate authentically and set healthy boundaries. Together, we'll reignite your passions and rediscover the zest for life that makes you uniquely you.
First session
In our first few sessions, we will slow down and look closely at what I like to call the 1 percent. These are those quiet glimmers, subtle traumas, and overlooked moments that deeply impact your day to day life. We will explore all the factors that influence how you see yourself, helping you distinguish between what the world told you to be and who you truly are.
Strengths
My approach blends the depth of trauma work with steady, down-to-earth pragmatism, so we never leave you floating in abstract concepts without a solid anchor. I focus on the nitty-gritty, breaking down the small details and holding a safe, non-judgmental space to talk through whatever you bring to the room, even the thoughts, behaviors, or feelings that might feel messy or uncomfortable to name elsewhere. Our therapy balances the practical with deep relational work. Navigating crisis, divorce, foster care, or big transitions in complex systems is tough. To support you through these high-stakes shifts, I blend Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Narrative Therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and Intuitive Eating to fit your exact, unique needs. Drawing on over 15 years of work in public school systems, along with extensive experience guiding individuals through life's most intense crossroads, my core clinical philosophy remains remarkably simple: we are human. I help you turn your untamed chaos into clear, actionable strategies. To challenge the often-impenetrable norms of the healthcare industry, I keep my rates accessible and straightforward. I intentionally set my fees at a level I would be comfortable paying myself. For me, this isn't just about business; it’s a small, practical way to "buck the trends" of rising costs and gatekeeping in our field. I am committed to providing a space where you feel seen as a person first, and where our work together is focused on genuine advocacy and sustainable healing
Ideal clients
My ideal client is someone who currently feels "trapped" or "stuck" in the repetitive cycles of their own life, perhaps sensing that they are just going through the motions and lacking the "zest" they once had. You might feel like you are fighting against systems whether at work, in your family, or within your own mind that weren't designed for the way you actually function. I work best with people who are tired of superficial fixes and are ready to look at the "nitty gritty" of their routines, patterns, and even their physiology to understand why they feel stalled. Whether you are navigating neurodivergence or the lingering weight of past trauma, you are likely looking for a therapist who is as pragmatic and authentic as they are clinically skilled. You aren't just looking for someone to listen; you are looking for a partner to help you analyze your world through multiple lenses from food and diet to systemic inequity—to find the specific, science-backed next steps that will move you from feeling stuck to feeling genuinely empowered and alive.
Origin story
My path to this work was shaped by living through rigid systems and watching gatekeeping, social injustice, and unnecessary complexity keep people from the support they deserve. Too often, the helping professions make simple answers feel impossible to find, hiding care behind layers of clinical jargon and bureaucratic hurdles. I became a therapist to dismantle those barriers, break down systemic gatekeeping, and hand you direct, transparent tools. As someone who lives with celiac disease, has a blind partner, four children, and is neurodivergent themselves, I got into this field because I have seen many different avenues of injustice. I've seen many different ways in which our bodies, our minds, and the things around us can limit or make things overly complicated across the spectrum. When I became a therapist, one of my promises and biggest motivations was to help others see themselves for all of the beautiful parts that exist as human beings. I believe that our greatest human strength is the ability to use education, resources, and true understanding of ourselves to be lifelong learners and growers not just reaching an end goal, but becoming the best versions of ourselves and removing anything that steps in the way of that.
Ongoing work together
Our ongoing work goes far beyond talking about the big picture; it is about actively rewriting your narrative in the middle of everyday life. By processing your day-to-day functions and practical, real-world experiences, we focus on highlighting the quiet moments where you are already stepping into your power, even when you don't realize it, while training you to spot future opportunities to make your own voice the primary authority. To ensure you leave every single session with something practical you can use right away, I ground our work in dynamic, real-world "homework." Whether that’s analyzing a movie character's growth, reflecting on a relatable TikTok trend, or working through an actionable exercise tailored to your week, these tools keep your momentum going so your rewritten story becomes a lived reality.
Treatment methods
Relational
I believe that true growth doesn’t happen in isolation; it happens through connection. In my practice, I lean into Relational-Cultural Theory, which is just a professional way of saying that the quality of our relationships determines the quality of our lives. Because I’ve lived in worlds where "two things can be true at the same time" from a upbringing that spanned the entire political and social spectrum to managing my own ADHD I know that the "nitty gritty" parts of your story aren't obstacles to be removed, but parts of you that deserve a seat at the table. My goal is to bring the "darkness to light" by dismantling the systemic inequities and personal traumas that make you feel isolated. When you sit with me, you get 100% of my authentic attention as we work to transform those old patterns of disconnection into a resilient, empowered way of being that honors exactly who you are. One Tool: Look up "Coffee Talk" or do Kristen Neff's Self-Compasion Quiz
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
In my practice, I utilize Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) because it is grounded in the scientific understanding that we are hardwired for attachment and emotional safety. I see the "nitty gritty" of your life not as a series of problems to fix, but as a map of your deepest needs for security and belonging. Because I navigate the world with ADHD and have lived across broad social spectrums, I understand that when we feel disconnected or misunderstood, we often get stuck in repetitive, painful cycles of "darkness." My role is to help you slow down and identify those underlying emotional signals that drive your reactions, transforming chaos into a clear, shared language. By bringing these vulnerable truths to light, we can move out of defensive patterns and toward a secure, authentic connection where you feel truly seen and supported. One Tool: How we feel (app) or take the Attachment Project Quiz
Experiential Therapy
My practice, I take an experiential approach because I believe that real change happens through what you feel and do in the moment, not just what you talk about. Because I value authenticity and navigating the "nitty gritty" of life, I don't just sit behind a clipboard; I engage with you in the here and now to face the complexities of your world head-on. Science shows that "bringing darkness to light" requires more than just intellectual understanding it requires a somatic and emotional shift. To get there, I believe in meeting you where you are by utilizing whatever tools are most effective, whether that involves movies, books, social media, articles, or hands-on experiential attempts. We will work together to create a space where you can experience your own strength and vulnerability in real-time, allowing you to walk out the door with a more integrated, authentic sense of self. One Tool: Watch the "Tom Is Not Going To Jail | Succession" on You Tube to show yourself that you are not fully crashing out!
Solution-Focused Brief Treatment
In Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), our work is centered on your strengths and the future you want to build rather than getting lost in the problems of the past. Because I believe it is crucial for you to truly know and understand who you are, I have invested thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours into specialized neurodivergent trainings. This allows us to look at your goals through a lens that respects how your brain actually works, ensuring that the solutions we create are practical and sustainable for your specific life. By analyzing your existing patterns and routines, we identify what is already working and pragmatically scale those successes. We will focus on best-case scenarios and immediate next steps, seeing the whole you as we move toward a version of life that feels authentic and manageable. One Tool: Jessica mccabe ADHD or TickTick
Location
Virtual sessions
Top specialties
Other specialties
Doesn't specialize in
Licensed in
- North CarolinaLicense C017329