​L. Kathryn Smith, LCSW, RPT
Owner / Director of Arbor Cove Therapy, LLC
Certified EMDR Therapist

Picture

Specialties:
  • Adoption and Foster Care
  • Trauma and Stress-Related Difficulties
  • Emotional and Behavioral Disorders of Childhood & Adolescence
  • Parent Training and Coaching
  • Mood and Anxiety Disorders
  • Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
  • Theraplay (R)
  • Trust Based Relational Intervention (R) (TBRI)


Katie earned a Master of Social Work from The University of Georgia in 2001 and was licensed by the state of Georgia as a clinical social worker in 2005 (#CSW003510). In addition to in-person psychotherapy services with Georgia residents, she provides telemental health services in both Georgia and in Florida (provider registration #179). Her specialization in mental health needs related to adoption and complex developmental trauma developed over the course of more than 20 years' experience working in both child welfare and mental health settings with children, teens, and adults who were adopted or in foster care, as well as birth, foster, and adoptive families. Her approach to treatment is grounded predominantly in neurobiologically-informed, attachment-based, somatic, and cognitive-behavioral theories. Treatment is individualized and informed by a thorough assessment along with active collaboration with clients in setting treatment goals.

While Katie specializes in treating issues and challenges related to adoption, she also enjoys working with clients who have other mental health needs, including recovery from trauma, anxiety, chronic stress, and grief, as well as relationship development through parent coaching.​ Her post-graduate training has included a wide variety of courses on grief and loss, attachment, complex developmental trauma, sensory processing disorder, mood and anxiety disorders, ADHD, parenting, play therapy, healthy relationships, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, regulation, somatic psychology, and neuroscience.

Katie is a registered play therapist (RPT), credentialed by the Association for Play Therapy, a certified Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapist, and a Circle of Security Parenting (TM) facilitator. She has also completed Level I of the Body-Brain Approach to Sandtray Play Therapy training through the SageSource Learning Center, both the practitioner and camp trainings in Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI), and the 18 month-long Training for Adoption Competency (TAC) initiative of the Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.) in Maryland, one of the premier post-adoption services agencies in the United States. An overview of the approaches she is trained in includes:​​
Katie's passion is helping clients experience healing in their mind, emotions, spirit, and relationships from trauma-related injuries, especially those suffered in early childhood.

Active memberships in professional associations:
EMDR International Assocation (EMDRIA)
Association for Play Therapy