Licensed to practice in Florida and accepts 10 insurances. Specializes in Anxiety, Coping Skills, Depression and 5 more.
Hello, my name is Dr. Stephanie Smith. I am a Licensed Clinical Psychologist with Grow Therapy. I obtained my doctoral degree from University of Cincinnati in 2014. I have worked with adolescents and adults with a variety of clinical presentations. I have extensive training in various treatment modalities. I have experience working with individuals struggling with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and personality disorders. I tend to use a mix of therapeutic modalities such as CBT, DBT, and ACT to facilitate growth and healing.
Our initial session will likely focus on presenting issues and prior history of treatment. I like to explore current difficulties and/or barriers. I also feel it is pertinent to gather relevant background information in order to get a more comprehensive view into my clients. I also like to explore goals for therapy and/or issues that need to be addressed/resolved.
Through my clinical practice and lived experience, it is important to curate a compassion place where individuals feel safe enough to explore challenges. I appreciate a more interactive experience where individuals feel understood rather than judged. I focus on insight oriented thinking to help identify patterns underlying emotions and behaviors. I emphasize self-reflection in order to facilitate growth and understanding.
I am hoping to work with individuals who are struggling with emotional, life transition, and/or relationship difficulties. Individuals should be curious and willing to explore patterns. It is also help for individuals who are motivated for change. These individuals can be motivated to understand themselves and make meaningful changes. Individuals can be experiencing anxiety, depression, grief, work/life stressors, low self-esteem/self-doubt, and/or perfectionism/people-pleasing.
ACT is a therapeutic technique that I like to integrate into my practice because it is not focused on avoiding, escaping, or distracting from uncomfortable emotions. I frequently inform my clients that our feelings are valid and a part of the human experience. The goal of ACT is learning to take effective action guided by values/priorities in the face of discomfort.
CBT is a fundamental part of my therapeutic approach. The focus is on identifying thoughts (internal dialogue) that may contributing to feelings and behaviors (e.g. increasing feelings of depression and/or anxiety). The goal of CBT is to exploring these thoughts to determine a more balanced way of thinking.
Culture plays an important role in our experiences. It is very important for me to recognize and discuss how these components can influence an individual's beliefs, relationships, coping strategies, and view of mental health. I feel this is an integral part of my approach in therapy which helps strengthen the therapeutic relationship. It also helps provide me with a more comprehensive view of strengths, areas of growth, and supports that may be beneficial.