Brett Smith

Brett Smith is a California-licensed marriage and family therapist who brings 22 years of clinical experience to his work. He holds the license CA LMFT 46410 and focuses on helping people move past obstacles that keep life from feeling like the adventure it should be.

He first entered the counseling field seeking to address his own struggles with PTSD. As a combat veteran and a former law enforcement officer, he offers an informed perspective on trauma both from a clinical standpoint and from lived experience. That dual perspective shaped his professional interest in how trauma alters behavior and in the long-lasting ways symptoms can persist.

Most of his career has involved assisting clients with personality disorders and trauma-related symptoms. His clinical approach is direct and practical. He primarily uses dialectical behavior therapy, but adapts methods when a situation calls for a different modality. He also completed postgraduate work in hypnotherapy and is a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, applying Ericksonian and transformational techniques in his practice.

Smith’s diagnostic and assessment skills were sharpened by time spent conducting emergency psychiatric assessments in hospital emergency departments, often working with individuals in crisis. That experience has helped him untangle complex cases and refine treatment plans.

Outside of his professional life, he and his wife enjoy sailing their own sailboat and plan to live aboard and travel the world in the future. They like to travel, backpack, and kayak, and they spend as much time outdoors as possible. His wife is retired from a career in law enforcement, and the couple enjoys raising and training dogs. He also produces videos related to his work on his YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@bashleys.

He welcomes contact from people ready to take the next step so they can work together to make life less of an ordeal and more the grand adventure it is meant to be.