Hello, I’m Dr. Smith

Dr. Katherine W. Smith, LMFT

Dr. Katherine W. Smith, LMFT

Education

  • Candidate in Psychoanalysis, Los Angeles Institute and Society for Psychoanalytic Study

  • Certificate in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, Wright Institute Los Angeles

  • Doctor of Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Depth Psychology,  Pacifica Graduate Institute, Santa Barbara, California

    • Dissertation: The Clinician Experience of Treating Suicidal Patients

  • Masters in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Spiritual and Depth Psychology, Antioch University Los Angeles

  • Bachelor of Arts, The Evergreen State College, Olympia, Washington

Training

  • Wright Institute Los Angeles

  • Angeles Psychology Group

  • Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

  • Los Angeles LGBT Center

  • Antioch University Counseling Center

Professional Memberships

  • California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists

  • APA Division 39 - Psychoanalysis

  • Group Psychotherapy Association of Los Angeles

Faculty Positions

  • Advising and Consulting Faculty at Wright Institute Los Angeles

  • Adjunct Faculty, Antioch University Los Angeles

  • Adjunct Faculty, Reiss-Davis Graduate School

  • Adjunct Faculty, Pacifica Graduate Institute

More about Dr. Smith

Psychology Today

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I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist LMFT#115452, a psychoanalytic therapist, and candidate in psychoanalysis at LAISPS. I am the founder of TherapySmith, I supervise all of our associate therapists, and I also provide consultation to other licensed clinicians.

Choosing a therapist is stressful!

You’re probably wondering if I’m the right therapist for you. The best way to decide if I'm a good match for you is for us to talk.

It's about you, not just your symptoms.

I work with people of diverse backgrounds and experiences: all ages, genders, sexual orientations, and cultures are welcome in my practice.

You might want to know if I have experience working with people like you or if I have experience with a particular mental health issue. For example, you may experience practical problems like relationship issues (including friendship, romance, sex, kink, etc.), loneliness or isolation, difficulty with life goals and staying motivated, or fatigue. Or you might have a hard time feeling understood by others. You may want to feel more confident and authentic, but you're just not sure what to do about it. 

I treat many different kinds of mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, adjustment disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), ADD or ADHD, Asperger's or "high functioning"/low support need ASD, and personality disorders.  While I am trained in psychological assessment and diagnosis, it is not the heart of my psychotherapy. The heart of my therapy practice is getting to know you as a whole person: the parts that you show the world, the parts that you've kept to yourself, and the parts you avoid.

I think talking about it (all of it) really helps.

Above all, being a psychoanalytic therapist means that I really take my time to get to know you. We’ll talk about everything from dreams to disappointments, including our developing relationship and what happens between us in sessions. It’s really vulnerable, but it leads to lasting change. This kind of psychotherapy is a long-term investment in yourself.

Because this kind of psychotherapy is exploratory and depth-oriented, it can sometimes feel awkward and uncomfortable. That's okay and totally expected! We will discover the best way to work together and learn a lot about you along the way.