Athina Smalios, LCSW

Athina Smalios is a licensed clinical social worker with 20 years of practice in Florida. She helps people facing stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma and abuse, and relationship concerns. Athina also supports those dealing with anger, low self-esteem, ADHD, bipolar disorder, and major life changes.

Her style is warm and collaborative. Sessions focus on practical skills and clear steps people can use between meetings. She listens for strengths and patterns, then works with clients to build coping tools that fit daily life.

Athina uses approaches that aim for measurable change. She draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to spot thoughts and behaviors that keep problems going. Motivational Interviewing helps when someone is feeling stuck and wants to find personal reasons to change.

Solution-Focused Therapy guides short-term goal setting and quick wins. These methods are mixed to suit each person’s needs and situation. The therapist and client decide together which techniques to try.

Athina has particular experience with caregiving stress, communication problems, workplace issues, first responder concerns, and young adult challenges. She also addresses isolation, guilt and shame, forgiveness work, and life purpose questions. Her approach aims to be practical so people leave sessions with clear next steps.

People who choose her can expect steady support and straightforward tools to manage emotions, improve relationships, and move through transitions.

How these approaches translate to online care

Athina uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice the thoughts and behaviors that maintain distress and test small changes to see what helps. That approach is useful for anxiety, depression, and stress because it breaks problems into manageable steps.

She also uses Motivational Interviewing to help people clarify why change matters to them and to build personal motivation. This method can be helpful when someone feels stuck or unsure how to move forward.

Finding the right approach is part of therapy. Athina works together with each person to choose methods that match their goals and situation. That collaborative process means techniques are adjusted over time based on what is helpful.

The profile does not list specific session formats, so confirm current options before booking. In general, online care can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life. It can reduce travel time, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and make scheduling around work or family easier. Licensed professionals can use the same CBT, Motivational Interviewing, and solution-focused tools effectively over distance when they are adapted to a person’s routine and goals.