At a glance
- Credentials
- LMFT
- License
- LMFT, Oklahoma / LMFT00853
- NPI
- 1891847786
- Experience
- 22 years
- Languages
- English
- Location
- Oklahoma
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
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- Relationship-focused
- Motivational interviewing
- 22 years experience
About Rilda
Rilda Smith is a Licensed Marital and Family Therapist (LMFT) based in Oklahoma with 22 years of experience. She focuses on helping people who feel stuck by listening, asking clear questions, and working alongside them to find practical next steps. Her style is direct but warm and aimed at making real-life problems easier to manage.
Rilda pays attention to how life is shaped by relationships. She views difficulties as connected to family, work, school, and community, and she helps clients spot patterns that keep problems running. That perspective often helps people see new options when old approaches aren’t working.
She regularly addresses stress, anxiety, depression, grief and many forms of loss, and sleep problems. Rilda also helps with caregiving strain and compassion fatigue, anger and communication challenges, money and career stress, self-esteem, and parenting concerns. She lists ADHD, eating issues, and seasonal affective disorder among the concerns she supports.
Therapeutically she uses Motivational Interviewing to help people find their own reasons to change. She also draws on client-centered methods to follow a person’s lead, cognitive behavioral ideas to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, mindfulness for present-moment coping, and narrative therapy to reframe life stories.
Rilda has worked with Third Culture Kids and adults who grew up across cultures, with a focus on transitions into life in the United States. She aims to help people recognize strengths, try small experiments, and build more satisfying routines and relationships.
If you want to start, use the site’s Start Therapy flow and complete the short matching questionnaire to schedule according to therapist availability.
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How Rilda’s Approaches Work Online
Rilda commonly uses Motivational Interviewing to help people clarify their reasons for change and build motivation one step at a time. This approach focuses on gentle, goal-oriented conversations that support someone’s own choices. Client-centered therapy is another thread in her work where the therapist follows the client’s lead, listens closely, and reflects what matters most to the person. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, used selectively, helps identify thoughts and behaviors that make problems worse and offers practical skills to try instead.
Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. She will collaborate with each client to decide which methods fit the goals, temperament and daily life of the person sitting across from her. That planning changes as progress is made and new challenges arise.
Confirm current session options before booking since specific formats are not listed here. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, shorten check-ins when needed, or reduce travel time. It can also let people meet from a quieter space, avoid camera use when preferred, or schedule therapy around work and family commitments. Licensed professionals can adapt the mix of motivational, client-centered and CBT techniques to work well in remote sessions. -
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Relationship issuesEating disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesDepressionADHDAdditional focus areas
AbandonmentAttachment issuesCaregiver issues and stressCommunication problemsCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDivorce and separationForgivenessGuilt and shameHospice and end-of-life counselingLife purposeMoney and financial issuesMulticultural concernsSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSexualityYoung adult issuesTherapeutic approaches
Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Mindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyExperience
22+ years
Listed in
Oklahoma
Languages
English
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Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns can I bring to therapy?
Rilda works with a wide range of concerns including stress, anxiety, depression, grief and sleep struggles. She also supports people coping with caregiver strain, compassion fatigue, anger, self-esteem, career and money issues, and ADHD-related challenges.
How would you describe the therapy style?
The approach is collaborative and practical. She uses Motivational Interviewing, client-centered methods, CBT, mindfulness and narrative techniques to help clients set goals and try small changes.
What is Rilda's professional background?
Rilda has 22 years of clinical experience and has worked extensively with Third Culture Kids and adults navigating cultural transitions to the United States.
What credential does she hold and where is she located?
She is a Licensed Marital and Family Therapist, LMFT, licensed in Oklahoma and practices from that state.
Are sessions available in languages other than English?
Sessions are offered in English and international clients are accepted.
What session formats are offered for therapy?
Please confirm current session options before booking as formats are not specified here and may vary.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin if I want to work with this therapist?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.
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Online talk therapy is not emergency or medical care. Stopping or cutting down alcohol or other drugs can be unsafe without medical advice. In immediate danger? Crisis numbers