Brett Smith, LMFT

Brett Smith is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in California with 22 years of clinical experience. He works with adults on stress, anxiety, depression, relationship concerns, addictions, and family of origin issues. He also supports people dealing with trauma and abuse, self-esteem, grief, intimacy concerns, and ADHD. He speaks English and accepts international clients.

Brett’s background includes service as a combat veteran and work in law enforcement. Those experiences shaped his interest in how trauma affects behavior. He has spent much of his career helping people with trauma symptoms and personality-related difficulties, and he has conducted emergency psychiatric assessments in hospital settings.

His style is direct and practical. He often uses dialectical behavior therapy to help people manage intense emotions and change unhelpful habits. He also uses cognitive behavioral approaches and mindfulness when those fit the situation. He has post-graduate training in hypnotherapy and describes himself as a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist using Ericksonian and transformational concepts.

In sessions Brett focuses on clear steps people can take to reduce distress and improve daily functioning. He will shift methods if a case needs a different approach. Sessions often look at patterns that started in childhood and how those patterns show up now in relationships, work, and self-image.

Outside of practice he and his wife sail, backpack, and train dogs. He also shares informational videos on a public YouTube channel for people who want to learn more about the topics he covers in sessions.

How Brett blends methods for remote sessions