Therapist profile
Brett Smith, LMFT
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist - Trauma and parenting focus
Continue with BrettAbout
- DBT skills
- Hypnotherapy concepts
- Mindfulness practice
About Brett
Brett Smith is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in California with 22 years of clinical experience. He works with people dealing with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, depression, addictions, parenting strains, grief, relationship difficulties, and related concerns such as body image and codependency.
He is a combat veteran and a former law enforcement officer who came into counseling after addressing his own PTSD. That background informs his interest in how trauma changes behavior and how symptoms can persist long after an event. He has spent much of his career helping people who present trauma symptoms and personality-related problems.
His style is direct and task-focused. He often draws on dialectical behavior therapy to teach coping skills and emotional regulation. He also uses cognitive behavioral ideas and mindfulness practices to help people reframe thinking patterns and manage stress.
Brett has done postgraduate work in hypnotherapy and is a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist using Ericksonian and transformational concepts. He has experience conducting emergency psychiatric assessments in hospital emergency departments, work that he says strengthened his diagnostic and crisis-assessment skills.
Outside of work he and his wife sail, backpack, kayak, and train dogs. He maintains a YouTube channel with videos related to topics he discusses in sessions. Those resources are offered as an additional way to learn about his themes and ideas.
How sessions work
Online sessions and therapeutic approaches
Brett commonly uses dialectical behavior therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy in his work. DBT focuses on building concrete skills for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. CBT looks at patterns of thought and behavior and helps people test and change unhelpful thinking to reduce symptoms.He also draws on hypnotherapy concepts, including Ericksonian and transformational approaches, to complement skill work when appropriate. Those methods are used to support relaxation, focus, and shifts in automatic responses rather than as standalone cures.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with the client to decide which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences. Sessions can mix techniques and adjust over time as progress and circumstances change.
The original profile does not list specific session formats here. Please confirm which online formats are offered before booking. Many people find online sessions help fit therapy into a busy life - they can reduce travel time, make it easier to schedule shorter check-ins, or allow someone to connect from a chosen location. Licensed professionals can adapt DBT and CBT exercises for remote sessions so skill practice continues between meetings.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
22+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Which concerns does he help with?
He works with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, depression, addictions, parenting issues, grief, relationship and intimacy concerns, and related matters such as body image and codependency.
What is his therapeutic style?
His approach is direct and skills-oriented. He often uses dialectical behavior therapy and integrates cognitive behavioral and mindfulness techniques as needed.
How much clinical experience does he have?
He has 22 years of experience in the counseling field and many years working with trauma and personality-related issues.
What credentials and location does he hold?
He is an LMFT licensed in California.
Does he offer sessions in other languages or to people outside the US?
Sessions are offered in English and he accepts international clients.
What session formats are available?
The original profile does not specify session formats. Please confirm current session options before booking.
How does pricing work?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin a first session?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If anyone is in danger, use the crisis numbers.