Hi, I’m rosalind smith.
I’m a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor with Supervision Designation who specializes in Christian trauma and relationship counseling. My passion is helping couples and individuals heal from emotional pain and trauma. I utilize a holistic approach to help you improve the quality of your life. My approach is shaped by my ministry work and experience in treating anxiety, depression, and trauma. I use various treatment modalities to customize your counseling experiences such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Emotional Freedom Techniques, Mindfulness Meditation, Brainspotting, and Imago Relationship Therapy.
In 2002, I graduated with a Ph.D. in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Cincinnati. My work as an Audiologist serving the older population provided me with my first experience in counseling. My experience as a ministry leader and my life experiences motivated me to return to graduate school. In 2016, I obtained a Master of Arts in Counseling degree from Cincinnati Christian University and am licensed in the states of Ohio and Kentucky. In 2017, I completed my ministerial training and was ordained as a minister through the leadership of New Beginnings Church of the Living God.
I am grateful for my education and certifications; however, my relationship and connection with God are pivotal to my work as a counselor. As a Christian Counselor, I aim to bridge the gap between spirituality and reality by fostering a loving, nonjudgmental environment that aids in healing. I believe that my faith and devotion to God give me the know-how and confidence to care for His children.
I believe that my work as a counselor is a ministry and at the core of this ministry is God’s love. It is my understanding that relationships and loving oneself are built on three components: mutual trust, empathy, and love. Once achieved, the relationship and acceptance of one’s self will grow deeper and more vibrant each time there is a positive experience or connection. Without any one of these components, the foundation of the relationship and one’s outlook on life will be negatively impacted. The counseling process offers hope and healing. I have had an amazing opportunity to experience many individuals and couples connect with God and improve the quality of their lives and relationships. I feel great joy while working with my clients and seeing their lives transform from our initial meeting. There is no doubt in my mind that I was purposed to be a counselor. I absolutely love my work! Let me know how I can help you.
The foundation of my approach is based on systemic therapy, attachment theory, and spirituality. Imago Relationship Therapy is also integrated into the sessions when working with couples. Systemic therapy views the person as a system and focuses on the dynamics of the individual’s relationships. The systemic approach views difficulties and issues as arising in the relationships, interactions, language, and behavior patterns that develop between individuals within a family system rather than in the individuals themselves.
Systemic therapy effectively addresses a diverse range of symptoms such as behavioral, emotional, and psychological difficulties. It has helped address and resolve day-to-day challenges and concerns for all ages and relationships, such as communication difficulties, interpersonal relationships, and behavioral difficulties in children. This therapeutic approach has been used to treat specific problems and disorders in children and adults, such as depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and substance use disorders.
Attachment theory enhances the systemic approach by examining how the parent-child relationship developed over time and how the development of this early relationship influences the development of other relationships. This early interaction between the child and the caregivers determined how the child was “attached” to them. This learned attachment style shapes how the child will continue to attach to other relationships. Four distinct patterns of attachments have been identified: secure, insecure: avoidant, insecure: ambivalent/anxious, and insecure: disorganized. Each type of insecure attachment brings its own set of difficulties in working towards earned secure attachment during therapy.
One way to move towards secure attachment is through the use of spirituality. Those who desire spirituality integrated into their counseling sessions can use their personal story and God’s story to improve relationship interaction and move towards secure attachment. Stories are a powerful way to organize, maintain, and evaluate behavior and emotions. When a person connects the unconscious memories and emotions with conscious ones, this validates their story and eventually leads to emotionally meaningful communication. Now that the person is more in tune with their feelings, they can begin the transformation process to develop a new way to attach. Meditating on the visual imagery of God and focusing on connecting with God’s story through the narratives, songs, and poems of the bible can help move the person towards secure attachment, thus, improving how the individual interacts with others.
Imago Relationship Therapy focuses on helping couples increase their connectedness. This therapy uses a dialogue to help couples learn how to meet the needs of one another in a balanced way based on their attachment styles. This can be achieved when each partner willingly stretches beyond their current defensive character adaptations to give the other what they need. The healing process can begin when needs are being met.
My Approach
Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP), Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional (CCATP), Certified Brainspotting Practitioner, Certified First Responder Counselor (CFRC), and Board Certified Telemental Health Provider (BC-TMH)