01 · Who Brett works with

Brett works with stress, Anxiety, family conflicts and trauma and abuse

Brett lists 18 specialisms and 23 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Brett chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Brett's own words

What Brett says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

Congratulations!!! You have just taken your first step towards an improved life! When we hurt our finger we are quick to go to the doctor for help, but when we suffer mental health concerns, we often, for many reasons, think we need to take this burden on ourselves. This is unfortunate as many mental health issues are successfully treated on a regular basis. So I congratulate you on your success at taking this first step.

You are on this site because there is something in your life keeping you from the adventure life should be. Let me help you resolve this issue. I have been in the counseling field for approx. 20 yrs. I came to this field in an attempt to resolve my own issues with PTSD. I'm a combat veteran and a former law enforcement officer. I have an intimate understanding of trauma, both on the clinical side, and the side of the victim. My interest has been to explore the consequences of trauma, and how it affects our behavior. One of the most surprising things I learned, was how long the symptoms of trauma persist, and how involved they can be in our lives. As a result of this experience, I have worked most of my career assisting clients with personality disorders and trauma symptoms.

My style is direct. I use primarily dialectical behavior therapy but will switch modalities if the situation needs flexibility. I have post-grad work in Hypnotherapy and am a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist utilizing Ericksonian/transformational concepts. My skills are enhanced by my experience in working in emergency departments conducting emergency psychiatric assessments for patients in crisis. This has improved my diagnostic skills and has helped me unravel many difficult cases.

In my personal life, my wife and I like to sail our own sailboat. In our future, we plan to live-aboard and travel the world. In addition to boating, we like to travel and spend time outdoors backpacking and kayaking. we stay active and outdoors as much as possible. My wife is retired from a life in law enforcement, and we both enjoy raising and training dogs. I also have a Youtube channel that has videos about what we talk about. I encourage you all to view them at your leisure, This is the link to my Youtube page:

https://www.youtube.com/@bashleys

It has been a pleasure sharing a little bit about me, and I hope you contact me so, together, we can make life less of an ordeal and more the grand adventure it is supposed to be. I look forward to meeting you!

Specialties Personality Disorders Trauma Treatment Relationships Anxiety/Depression

Brett Smith, on the BetterHelp listing · read 7 Oct 2026

03 · How Brett works

The 3 approaches Brett lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Brett lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Brett's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Brett runs a session.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

Dialectical Behaviour TherapyDBT

A structured skills-led adaptation of CBT built around holding two things at once: accepting yourself as you are and working to change. Teaches concrete skills for distress tolerance, emotion regulation and relationships. Developed for people whose feelings arrive at overwhelming intensity, and strongest-evidenced there.

Mindfulness-Based TherapyMBCT

Trains attention on what is happening right now - body, breath, the thought as it arrives - so distress can be observed rather than automatically acted on. Strongest evidence is in preventing depression from recurring, and it is usually taught as a practice you keep doing outside the session.

Also listed

• Hypnotherapy
• Jungian Therapy

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Brett practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Brett's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Brett at this point.

2. Naming Brett specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Brett is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Brett.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

3 questions worth asking Brett

Built from what Brett actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Brett's - Brett has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “With 22 years in, what has changed most in how you work?”

  Long experience is only an advantage if it has been examined. This tends to surface whether it has.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LMFT

Licensed in

California

Licence

CA LMFT 46410

Licence number

46410

Licence expires

29 Feb 2028

NPI

1952610529

Years in practice

22

Gender

Male

Languages

English

International clients

Accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Brett's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 7 Oct 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Brett. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.