Emilee Burke

My name is Emilee Smith and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) based in Virginia, working with clients state-wide via telehealth. I have experience working with many populations including children, adolescents, adults, and families. I have experience helping people with anxiety, depression, and parent-child relationships.

My approach

I utilize cognitive behavioral therapy techniques and dialectical behavior therapy techniques to help clients feel better, communicate effectively, and have healthy relationships. These evidence-based approaches involve developing healthy ways of thinking and healthy coping skills while validating the client's feelings and experiences. The client and I work together as a team to reach their therapeutic goals.

My focus

I work with clients of all ages and most often use a cognitive behavioral approach. When a person's automatic thoughts and behaviors are unhealthy, anxiety, depression, and conflict in relationships can be the result. With children, I enjoy helping them identify their emotions as well as giving them the words and coping skills to express themselves in healthy ways. When working with adults, I help them to create healthy thoughts and behaviors while reframing thoughts that are harmful to them.

My communication style

I strive to create a safe space for my clients in which they feel heard and understood. Sessions can look as flexible or as structured as each client wants them to be. Sometimes a client may have a specific goal in mind for sessions and other times a client simply wants to be listened to and believed. I think each of these things, working toward goals to feel better and being understood, are essential parts of therapy.

My journey to mental healthcare

I became a therapist because everyone deserves to feel heard, understood, and supported. When we have hardships, having the perspective of someone who listens without judgment can make a huge difference. People so often want to feel better but do not know how to start doing so. I have enjoyed learning therapeutic approaches such as CBT techniques to give people the skills to feel better.

My goals for you

Clients and I work together to create their goals and a plan to meet them. When a client identifies a goal such as "having less anxiety" or "feeling happier," we discuss what their lives would look like once they accomplished those goals and the specific steps toward getting there.

My first session with you

The first session will be spent getting to know one another and defining basic goals to work on in future sessions. We will also talk about how the client wants sessions to look, how often we will meet, and how the time can be best spent.