Kristin Smyth
**I am not currently accepting new clients. Please check back in January 2027.** _________________________________________ It’s been a privilege to work for more than twenty years as a therapist and clinical social worker. I’ve had the honor of walking alongside my clients and bearing witness to some of their most life-changing and difficult experiences as they navigate changes in mental health, sense of self, relationships, and quality of life. About Me: I am a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) and board certified diplomate (BCD) in clinical social work. I have masters (MSW) and doctorate (Ph.D.) degrees in social work and am a qualified clinical supervisor. I began my career as a therapist in 2005 at a psychiatric hospital working with individuals experiencing severe mental illness. Since then I have provided individual, group, and family therapy to adults and adolescents in community health centers, IOP/PHP programs, and private practices. I also supervised medical and doctoral students in pro-bono clinics. I currently own and operate Atlantic Psychotherapy, LLC. Between 2015-2025, I also worked as assistant professor/instructor in NC and FL and have published research on bipolar disorder, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (article links in my website). Specialties: • Bipolar Disorder • Depression • Anxiety • Obsessive-compulsive and panic disorders • Personality disorders • Stress management • Stigma/self-stigma • Self-Injury/self-defeating behaviors • Significant life changes/transitions • Self-esteem • Healthcare professionals and pre-licensure interns/candidates • Educators and college/graduate students **I do not provide services for: • domestic violence or sexual/physical abuse • psychotropic medication • sex therapy • court-ordered therapy (family/civil/criminal courts) **Telehealth not provided for clients under age 18 (in-person only)
First session
The first session is so important - in clinical practice this is our 'intake' appointment in which we meet with the client for the first time, learn more about them, and get a feel for what they're going through. It's also where the client gets to know me. The first session includes a question-and-answer process that feels much like a conversation, and it helps us identify what to prioritize and where to begin.
Strengths
An important part of therapy is realizing that while challenges and symptoms associated with mental health are difficult, individuals and families often experience changes in sense of self, relationships, and quality of life that are equally difficult. Therapy isn't just about managing symptoms or fixing problems - it's about finding a path to remember (or discover) who we are and living authentically as ourselves. Therapy begins within a safe space for expression, processing and problem-solving, and growth. Every person has the strength and abilities to work through the challenges they face. My role is to promote empowerment and provide clarity, insight, and support as clients master these challenges. I am a steadfast advocate for LGBTQ+ clients and families and racial and social justice. To quote the wonderful Hannah Brencher (More Love Letters): "The best gift you are ever going to give someone is the permission to feel safe in their own skin. To feel worthy. To feel like they are enough."
Origin story
Over the last 21 years, I've been asked occasionally why I changed course to become a therapist, since my bachelors degree is in English (nonfiction writing) with minors in business and Spanish. Here's my answer (as brief as I can make it): In the year after I graduated with my bachelors degree, I saw up close three things: 1) the intricacies and challenges of loved ones living with mental illness; 2) the profound strength and brilliance of those who lived with these illnesses throughout each day and the long nights that followed; and 3) the tremendous shortcomings in mental healthcare, both in treatment interventions and in the personal treatment of the individuals and families impacted by mental illness. Life has its way of changing each of us. This aspiring editor/writer (who was fully fluent in Spanish at the time) enrolled in a Master of Social Work program with the intent to change the system from within - as much as possible and wherever possible. This focus has driven my research, academic career, and more than twenty years as a therapist. I will always be a writer and keeper of stories, y aunque hace veinticuatro años que no hablo español con frecuencia, me encanta hablarlo y necesito practicarlo más. I have never doubted this decision. There are two quotes I often cite: "How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live." (Henry David Thoreau) ~ "Si cade día cae dentro de cade noche hay un pozo donde la claridad está encerrada. Hay que sentarse a la orilla del pozo de la sombra y pescar de la sombra y pescar luz caída con paciencia." (Pablo Neruda)
Treatment methods
Psychodynamic
So much of how we see ourselves, relate to other people, and interact with the world reflects the influence (or 'echoes') of our past. These 'echoes' can include our relationships and attachment styles developed through our family of origin and previous relationships; they can also emerge from life experiences, stressors, and trauma. Psychodynamic therapy helps us identify the pieces of our past that we carry with us and how those pieces shape who we are in the present.
Psychoeducation
For clients experiencing significant symptoms of mental illness, a key part of therapy often includes education on the illness itself, course of treatment, prognosis, treatment options, and therapeutic tools for symptom management. This goal is to empower the client and alleviate disruptions in functioning and sense of self caused by symptoms. This approach incorporates discussion and reflection in session, and sometimes simple techniques like a mood tracking chart. Interpersonal Social Rhythm Therapy (IPSRT) is one of the best approaches to stabilize symptoms of depression and bipolar disorder: https://ipsrt.org/
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) utilizes hands-on skills training (‘behavioral homework’) to improve management of intense and fluctuating emotions that cause disruptions in relationships and sense of self. In this way DBT is both active and empowering. DBT is not a one-size-fits-all approach and most frequently is used in combination with other types of therapy. Over the last decade, DBT has been increasingly recommended for diagnoses and situations that include intense and shifting emotion states (self-injury, eating disorders, complex trauma, personality disorder features). To represent DBT accurately, it’s worth noting that DBT skills training requires the client to commit and invest their time and effort outside of session (‘behavioral homework’/skills training). Additionally, while DBT is effective in improving emotion regulation in difficult situations, it does not address root causes – psychodynamic therapy is necessary for deeper change. Note: My services are classified as DBT informed - I do not provide Coaching Calls and am not available after hours.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Cognitive behavioral therapy is used to restore balance and accuracy in thought, emotion, and behavior processes. The relationship between how we think and feel, how we interact ourselves and others, and how we engage with the world around us significantly influences our well-being.
Location
Virtual sessions
In-person sessions805 E Broward Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
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Licensed in
- FloridaLicense SW10063