About
Meet the Founder
Dr. Shaneze Gayle Smith, PhD.
Health psychologist, trauma specialist and parenting coach
Is it the journey or the destination? Neither. It’s the company.
Therapy is hard and it can be a beautiful journey with the right therapist. And the right therapist will look differently for each of us. It’s critical for you to know the person you’re going to be sharing the most vulnerable parts of your life with. So let me introduce myself…
I am a licensed clinical psychologist and trained child and adolescent clinician with a decade of clinical experience. I have particular expertise in working with teens, young adults and parents with trauma, anxiety, chronic health issues, ADHD & parenting concerns. Prior to starting my own practice, I was the Director of Child & Adolescent programming at a CBT-based practice. I also served as an adjunct professor and doctoral trainee supervisor. Personally, I am a mother, Black/Latina cisgendered woman, wife, sister (4 brothers; yes I was surrounded by that much testosterone!), an autoimmune warrior, overthinker, medical school dropout (career changes are hard and can be wonderful!), reformed people pleaser & perfectionist, and childhood trauma survivor. I have turned my painful life experiences into my purpose. Regarding my own journey to and through motherhood, I am passionate about supporting women struggling with perinatal & postpartum concerns, work-life balance and burnout. I am sarcastic, open minded, lighthearted, straightforward, and obsessed with Harry Potter (yes, I have a wand).
Personal & Professional Values:
COMPASSION : to act with kindness to another’s suffering and how life has shaped who we are and the ways in which we struggle and thrive.
CURIOSITY : to approach life and sessions with interest about those I interact with
CONNECTION : to engage fully in my sessions and whatever I am doing, and be fully present with others
GROWTH-MINDSET : to grow and improve my skills/abilities as a clinician and person (I don’t know it all. You’re the expert on your life)
OPEN-MINDEDNESS : to think things through, see things from other’s points of view, and weigh evidence fairly.
AUTHENTICITY : to tune into what is within my truest self and allow that to come forward in a way that invites others' to be their truest selves
HUMOR : to hold space for laughter, even when (especially when!) topics can be challenging and uncomfortable.
EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND LICENSURE:
Education/Training:
Seton Hall University (Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology)
Concentration- Health Psychology, Child and Adolescence
Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center (Psychology Residency/Child & Adolescent Specialization)
Walden University (M.S. in Forensic Psychology)
Rutgers- New Jersey Medical School (completed 3 years of training)
Rutgers University (B.A. in Cell Biology and Neuroscience)
Psychology Training: Cognitive behavioral (CBT), Dialectical behavioral (DBT), Acceptance and commitment (ACT), Psychodynamic (relational & attachment based), ERP (exposure and response prevention), EFT (emotionally focused therapy) for couples
Medical Training/Completed Rotations: Neurology, Psychiatry, Pediatrics, Internal & Family Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics & Gynecology
Research: extensive research on the effects of trauma and stress on mental and physical health (e.g. mind body connection), health psychology, childhood abuse and neglect, resilience, integrative medicine, racial/ethnic stress & cultural identity for adolescents of color, workplace mistreatment and physician burnout, ADHD, anxiety, evidence-based treatments for justice involved families, and improving cultural competency in mental health providers.
Specialized Training:
Health psychology
Experience working in about a dozen integrative hospital settings (pediatric & adult) with illnesses including diabetes, cancer, chronic pain, autoimmune disorders, gastrointestinal issues such as IBD (Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis) and IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), hypertension, sickle cell, PCOS, and migraines. Dr. Gayle Smith has direct medical experience having attended medical school for 3 years prior to her psychology training which provides her with unique perspective on the interplay between the mind and body.
Trauma
Childhood Trauma (including neglect, physical abuse and sexual abuse), adult survivors of childhood trauma, sexual assault, medical trauma & childbirth trauma.
Expertise in the following trauma therapies: TF-CBT (Trauma-Focused CBT); CPT (Cognitive Processing Therapy) & CPC-CBT (Combined Parent-Child CBT for Physical Abuse)
Parenting/Motherhood
Experience working with parents individually, parent couples (specifically those navigating cultural or racial differences), co-parents (for divorced/blended families), parent groups and parent-child dyads. Additionally, Dr. Gayle Smith has clinical experience working with mothers navigating issues pertaining to perinatal concerns, motherhood, work-life balance & postpartum diagnoses such as postpartum depression, anxiety and PTSD.
Child & Adolescent Training
Positive Parenting; Parent Management Training (PMT) and Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS) for ADHD, disruptive behaviors and oppositionality.
Adolescent DBT for teens & young adults with suicidality, self-harming & emotion regulation issues.
Exposure and Response Prevention for OCD, anxiety/phobias and school refusal.
Licensure:
I am licensed clinical psychologist who can provide treatment in the following states: New York, New Jersey, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.