Lesley Schmaltz

Lesley Schmaltz is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing in Indiana with 16 years of clinical experience. She aims to build warm, accepting relationships and to partner with people on practical, achievable goals. Lesley focuses on creating a treatment plan that fits each person rather than using the same approach for everyone.

She has a Master of Science in Social Work from the University of Louisville earned in 2005. Her background includes hospice work supporting terminally ill patients and their families, school-based psychotherapy with elementary through high school students, and virtual therapy addressing anxiety, depression, PTSD, ADHD, and relationship concerns. These roles have shaped a flexible approach to common life challenges.

Lesley uses several therapeutic approaches to match a person’s needs. She draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people clarify values and take meaningful action. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps address unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. Attachment-Based and Emotionally-Focused techniques guide work on relational patterns and emotional connection.

Her practice includes grief counseling, trauma-informed care, parenting support, and work on body image and caregiver stress. She also helps people cope with life transitions, postpartum mood concerns, and issues around forgiveness, guilt, and shame. Lesley describes her style as inviting and supportive, emphasizing collaboration and steady progress.

People who choose her can expect straightforward conversation, goal-focused sessions, and practical skills they can use between meetings. She welcomes thoughtful, gradual work toward clearer communication, better mood management, and improved relationships.

Online approaches that aim for meaningful change

Lesley uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help people clarify their values and take small, consistent steps toward what matters to them, even when unpleasant thoughts or feelings arise. She also applies Attachment-Based Therapy to identify and shift patterns in close relationships, helping people feel more connected and understand their relational responses. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is used to notice and change unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns that contribute to anxiety, depression, and mood concerns.

Choosing an approach is a collaborative process. Lesley works with each person to determine which methods fit their goals, preferences, and life situation. She mixes techniques when that serves the work and checks in regularly to adjust the plan as progress is made.

Many people find online work helpful because it can fit into busy schedules and reduce travel time. Online sessions can make it easier to attend shorter check-ins during a break or to maintain continuity when life is unpredictable. The biography notes prior virtual psychotherapy experience, but current session formats are not specified here, so confirm the available options before booking. Lesley aims to help clients use practical tools between meetings and to make therapy feasible within everyday life.