Brett Smith, LMFT

California · 22 years in practice

Brett Smith is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with 22 years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, and relationship struggles.

License and registration

LMFT, California: 46410 · expires February 2026
NPI: 1952610529 · national provider identifier
Years in practice: 22
Languages: English

Details are as listed on the therapist's public professional profile. You can check the license with the issuing state board, and the NPI with the national registry.

About Brett

Brett Smith is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with 22 years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, and relationship struggles. He works with clients who face addiction, grief, self-esteem and intimacy-related issues, and people coping with major life changes. Brett brings a direct, practical style to sessions and aims to help people make clear progress.

Brett draws on a range of methods in his work. He commonly uses cognitive behavioral techniques to identify and change unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns.

Background and approach

He also uses dialectical behavior therapy skills for emotion regulation and distress tolerance. In addition, he includes hypnotherapy and Jungian ideas when they fit a client’s goals. Brett’s path into counseling began after his own experiences with post-traumatic stress disorder.

He is a combat veteran and a former law enforcement officer, and that background shaped his interest in trauma and personality issues. He has worked in emergency departments doing psychiatric assessments, which sharpened his diagnostic skills and his ability to respond to crises. In sessions Brett is straightforward and flexible.

He adapts methods to the situation and will shift approaches if something else will help more. He also shares practical tools clients can use between sessions to manage symptoms and practice new skills. Outside work Brett enjoys sailing, backpacking, kayaking, and training dogs with his wife.

He also produces videos on topics he covers in therapy and invites people to view them for additional ideas.

Focus areas and approaches

Everything Brett lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.

Stress, Anxiety
Family conflicts
Trauma and abuse
Self esteem
Depression
Addictions
LGBT
Relationship issues
Grief
Intimacy-related issues
Eating disorders
Sleeping disorders
Parenting issues
Anger management
Career difficulties
Coping with life changes
Compassion fatigue
ADHD
Abandonment
BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
Body image
Codependency
Commitment issues
Communication problems
Control issues
Dependent personality
Dissociation
Family of origin issues
First responder issues
Infidelity
Jealousy
Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
Mood disorders
Personality disorders
Post-traumatic stress
Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
Self-harm
Self-love
Sex addiction
Sexual assault and abuse
Sexuality

Approaches Brett names

Naming an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist lists and does not check training records.

Online support

Approaches for online healing and symptom management

Many clients work with cognitive behavioral therapy online to spot unhelpful thoughts and try small behavior changes. CBT helps with anxiety, depression, sleep, and many everyday problems by teaching practical steps and experiments. Hypnotherapy is used here as a conversational, guided approach that can assist people who want to address habits, reduce stress, or tap into focused relaxation for symptoms like chronic worry or sleep difficulty.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will discuss goals and preferences and together with the client decide which methods to try first. That collaborative process means techniques can be adjusted over time based on what helps most.

Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules and comfort levels. Video is useful for in-depth work and exercises, phone calls can be easier when internet is limited, live chat offers brief check-ins, and messaging supports ongoing reflection between visits. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life and to continue progress when travel or location changes occur.

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Questions people ask

What concerns does Brett help address?

He supports people with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, addictions, relationship and intimacy issues, grief, self-esteem, sleep and eating difficulties, ADHD, and related mood and behavioral concerns.

What is Brett's therapeutic style like?

His style is direct and practical. He focuses on clear strategies and skill-building while adapting methods to each person's needs.

How long has he worked in this field?

He has 22 years of clinical experience, including work in emergency departments conducting psychiatric assessments for people in crisis.

What credential does Brett hold and where is he based?

He is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, California LMFT, and practices from California.

Which languages are supported and can international clients connect?

Sessions are offered in English and international clients are accepted.

What session formats are available?

He meets via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to offer flexible options for different needs.

How are fees handled?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.

How do I begin working with Brett?

Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to therapist availability.

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