Brett Smith, LMFT

Brett Smith is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with 22 years of clinical experience who brings both professional training and lived experience to his work. A combat veteran and former law enforcement officer, he developed a deep clinical and personal understanding of trauma and post-traumatic stress, which shaped his focus on personality disorders and trauma-related symptoms. Brett’s approach is direct and practical - he frequently uses Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) while remaining flexible to shift modalities when a client’s needs call for a different method. He also completed postgraduate training in hypnotherapy and is a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist who applies Ericksonian and transformational concepts when appropriate. His background includes conducting emergency psychiatric assessments in emergency departments, a role that has sharpened his diagnostic skills and his capacity to work effectively with people in crisis.

He works with a broad range of concerns including anxiety, depression, addictions, relationship and family issues, grief, self-esteem, eating and sleeping problems, ADHD, first responder and veteran issues, and many intimacy-related and alternative-sex-culture topics such as BDSM and kink. Outside of his clinical work, Brett and his wife enjoy sailing their own sailboat with plans to live aboard and travel, as well as hiking, backpacking, kayaking, and training their dogs. He also maintains a YouTube channel with videos related to topics he covers in therapy: https://www.youtube.com/@bashleys

Brett’s combination of clinical training, crisis assessment experience, and personal history with trauma informs a straightforward, skills-oriented practice aimed at helping people move from surviving to engaging more fully in life.