Building Resilience, Restoring Hope, RYSing Together.

Resiliency Yields Self-Empowerment

RYSE Counseling & Consulting was created from a deep belief: when people are given safe, affirming spaces to heal, they don’t just recover — they rise. Monica Smith, LCSW, combines clinical expertise, lived experience, and community-centered practice to support healing that honors the whole person.

RYSE serves adolescents, adults, and families of all genders, races, and identities. Care is trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and faith-sensitive (but never pressure-driven).

• Identity-affirming care for LGBTQ+ clients and allies.
• Support for women and femmes navigating survival, single parenthood, and transitions.
• Space for Black and Brown communities to process trauma that is often normalized or dismissed.
• A focus on resilience, financial wellness, and breaking generational cycles.

Therapy, Consulting & Community Impact

RYSE blends clinical therapy with education, training, and empowerment-focused consulting. While therapy is currently operating from a waitlist, Monica remains active in community healing work.

• Individual Therapy (Waitlist) Virtual sessions for teens and adults navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, and burnout.
• Faith-Sensitive Therapy For clients who want to integrate faith and mental health — with respect for where you are spiritually.
• Workshops & Speaking Topics include trauma-informed care, mental health in minority communities, financial trauma, and women’s empowerment.
• Program Design & Consulting Support for schools, churches, nonprofits, and organizations seeking culturally responsive mental wellness initiatives.

AI Consultation & Automation Services

In addition to clinical and community work, Monica helps heart-centered entrepreneurs, therapists, churches, and small teams use AI wisely — so you can serve more people without burning out.

Together, we’ll map your workflows, identify bottlenecks, and build AI-powered systems that still feel like you and honor the dignity of the people you serve.

• Custom GPTs trained on your voice, offers, and processes.
• Automations for intake, client follow-up, and nurturing funnels.
• Systems for batching content: emails, captions, scripts, and blogs.
• AI-powered assets: workbooks, slide decks, handouts, and SOPs.
• Ethical, trauma-informed AI use for helping professionals & ministries.

You don’t have to be “techy” — we’ll build simple, repeatable systems and show you how to keep them running long after our work together.

Join the Waitlist for Virtual Therapy

If you’re interested in working with Monica for therapy, you’re in the right place. RYSE is intentionally keeping caseloads smaller to honor both client care and the many projects serving the community.

Add your name to the waitlist, and you’ll be contacted when a spot opens that aligns with your needs and schedule. There’s no commitment by filling out this form — it simply lets RYSE know you’d like to be considered for future openings.

RYSE is an LGBTQ+ affirming, anti-oppressive practice. All genders, sexual orientations, family structures, and faith identities are welcome here.

Please note: RYSE is not a crisis service. If you are in immediate danger or experiencing a mental health emergency, call 988 or your local emergency number.

What People Are Saying

“Monica has a way of seeing the whole person — not just their pain. Her work is both practical and deeply healing.”

“I came in overwhelmed and stuck in survival mode. I left feeling seen, heard, and with clear steps to move forward.”