Elisa Mantel-Smith, LCSW-R

Elisa Mantel-Smith is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with ten years of experience in New York. She uses a straightforward, empathetic style to help people cope with stress, anxiety, grief, and major life changes. Elisa draws on practical tools and listening to make space for what matters most to each person.

She works with people facing relationship strain, parenting challenges, caregiving stress, and health-related worries including fertility and cancer concerns. She also supports those managing trauma, addiction, eating and body image issues, ADHD, and obsessive thoughts. The aim is to reduce overwhelm and build clearer next steps for daily life.

Elisa blends client-centered listening with goal-focused methods. She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify patterns of thinking and acting that cause distress. She also applies Emotionally-Focused and Solution-Focused ideas to improve communication and set achievable goals.

Her training and fieldwork include individual, family, and group work across health and loss settings. Those ten years in practice shaped a calm, real-world approach that favors small changes that add up. She explains options plainly and helps people try different ways of coping.

Elisa holds a master’s degree in social work from Columbia University and the New York LCSW-R credential. She offers sessions in English from her New York practice, and she works with people who want support navigating both everyday stress and significant health or life transitions.

How Elisa’s Approaches Translate to Online Work

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and building trust so the person sets the pace and goals. This approach helps when someone needs steady support while sorting through health concerns or loss. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at thoughts and behaviors to reduce anxiety and depression by practicing new ways of responding. CBT is useful for panic, obsessive thoughts, and managing day-to-day stress.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Elisa will talk with the person about their goals, preferences, and what feels most useful. She then suggests techniques to try and adjusts them based on what helps in real life. This is a collaborative process over time rather than a one-size-fits-all method.

The therapist's biography does not list specific online formats, so please confirm current session options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy schedule, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time for people juggling medical appointments or caregiving. Licensed professionals can guide you in choosing an approach and session rhythm that fit your life and concerns.