Ileah-Mare Smith-Allen , LPC

Ileah-Mare Smith-Allen is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) in Michigan who centers her work on client-directed care. She begins by listening to each person’s story and meeting them where they are. She focuses on practical steps people can use to feel more confident and manage stress, anxiety, and changes in life.

She has 21 years of experience in clinical settings and community work. Over that time she has helped people address relationship and family strains, improve self-esteem, and increase motivation. She also supports those coping with grief, trauma and abuse, mood concerns such as depression and bipolar, and attention differences like ADHD.

Ileah-Mare uses straightforward approaches that aim to build skills and awareness. She draws on client-centered methods to follow the person’s lead, cognitive behavioral ideas to identify unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, and mindfulness to increase present-moment calm. Motivational interviewing and solution-focused techniques help with goal-setting and small, doable changes.

Sessions tend to focus on clear goals and useful tools. Clients work on communication, commitment questions, parenting strain, blended family issues, and managing anger or isolation. She also supports people dealing with fertility and fatherhood concerns, abandonment wounds, and family of origin patterns.

The tone in sessions is supportive and practical. Ileah-Mare helps people notice strengths and try new habits. She encourages steady progress rather than quick fixes.

How evidence-based approaches fit into online care

Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and following the person's priorities. In this approach the therapist reflects concerns, highlights strengths, and helps the client set the agenda for sessions. It is useful for people who want a supportive space to make sense of their feelings.

Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, helps people notice thought and behavior patterns that keep problems going. Sessions include simple experiments and practice tasks to change those patterns, which can help with anxiety, depression, and stress. Mindfulness therapy teaches attention skills and grounding practices to reduce reactivity and increase calm during stressful moments.

Finding the right approach is part of the work itself. The therapist will collaborate with each person to pick methods that match goals, needs, and preferences. That might mean combining CBT skills with client-centered listening, or trying short solution-focused steps to build momentum.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility. Video calls let people use face-to-face time for deeper conversations and skills practice. Phone sessions can be a lower-bandwidth option when video is difficult. Live chat and text-based messaging work well for brief check-ins, tracking progress, or getting support between longer sessions. These formats make it easier to fit counseling into a busy life and to keep consistent momentum.