Hi, I’m AJ. I’m a white, queer, neurodivergent therapist who works with adults, youth, and people in intimate partnerships. I specialize in supporting people navigating trauma, identity, and relationships. I strive to show up with warmth, curiosity, and deep respect for your lived experience — and with a commitment to care, relational integrity, and mutual accountability.

I hold a personal understanding that healing is not linear — often messy — and can be nurtured not only in therapy, but also through connection and community. I’m especially passionate about working with queer and trans communities, people in recovery, and those living with the impacts of complex trauma, systemic harm, and neurodivergence in a society that often pathologizes difference and prioritizes productivity over care.

My approach is collaborative and relational — rooted in nervous system awareness, emotional insight, self-reflection, and clarity in thought and behavior. I welcome all kinds of relationship structures and family systems, and strive to work at a pace that prioritizes safety and sustainability.

If you’re seeking a therapist who values integrity, compassion, and complexity — I’d be honored to connect.

I believe therapy is a space for honest exploration, connection, and transformation — a place where we can bring and tend to our full, authentic selves. Healing doesn’t happen in isolation; it unfolds in relationship, through curiosity, accountability, and care.

Therapy is not a neutral space — each person in the room brings their lived experience, identities, and values with them. I aim to acknowledge and engage with that reality rather than bypass it.

While the therapeutic relationship can be deeply reparative, I don’t see therapy as a replacement for long-term community, belonging, or care. Instead, I hope my work can support clients in building and deepening those connections beyond the therapy space. I see therapy not as “fixing” what’s broken, but as tending to the parts of us that have been silenced, harmed, or misunderstood. I believe everyone has the capacity to heal and grow when they’re met with safety, respect, and presence.

My work is grounded in relational and somatic approaches, guided by a commitment to equity, justice, embodiment, and collective care. I aim to offer a space that honors complexity — where people can feel seen without being simplified, leaving room for contradiction.

I bring my personality into the room — I don’t believe in blank-slate therapy or pretending we aren’t two people sharing space and time. That said, I strive to be a steady, attuned sounding board — someone who reflects honestly, listens deeply, and stays rooted in your process. I’m here to support your voice, not replace it.

I believe in co-creating therapy, not directing it — which means listening deeply, adjusting to your pace, and respecting autonomy. I’m especially attuned to the impact of systems on our inner lives, and I strive to meet each person with humility, accountability, and care that extends beyond the therapy room.

I hold a Master’s degree in Integral Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies, where I was trained in psychodynamic, somatic, transpersonal, and humanistic approaches. I’ve continued to deepen my work through training in trauma-informed care, nervous system regulation, and culturally responsive therapy.

Before becoming a therapist, I began my clinical work in restorative justice and community-based mental health programs, supporting youth and families navigating complex systems. I also have experience working with folks impacted by incarceration and criminalization — work that continues to shape my understanding of systemic harm, carceral trauma, and the need for liberatory, trauma-informed care grounded in dignity and nonjudgment.

I have worked with young people in community and school-based settings — supporting them through crises, transitions, and systems navigation. These early experiences continue to inform how I show up with attunement, creativity, and respect for the wisdom young people carry.

I’ve since worked with adults across levels of care — including residential, PHP, IOP, and outpatient — with a focus on trauma, substance use, identity exploration, group dynamics, and relational healing. My experience includes working with queer and trans community members, military veterans, neurodivergent clients, and people navigating recovery, grief, depression, anxiety, and the impacts of inequity.

I approach therapy as a collaborative, client-led process rooted in presence, curiosity, and trust. I center the therapeutic relationship as a site of potential healing, while also recognizing that meaningful growth often unfolds beyond the room — in community, in nervous system shifts, in reclaiming voice and agency.

My work is grounded in relational, somatic, and trauma-informed approaches and supported by mindfulness, parts work, and nervous system attunement. When helpful, I also draw from behavioral tools like DBT and CBT — offering structure or containment when needed, without relying on rigid models.

I pay close attention to power dynamics, pacing, and consent — and I strive to meet each person with honesty, humility, and respect for their inner knowing. Whether you're processing trauma, navigating identity, or building skills for daily life, I’m here to walk with you — not ahead of you.

• Adolescent: 13-17
• Young Adult: 18-25
• Adults: 26-65
• Seniors: 65+

• Individuals
• Couples
• Polyamorous relationship groupings
• Families

• Autistic
• Biracial
• Children of Parents with Addiction
• Couples/Married/Romantic/Sexual Relationships
• Disabled
• Gay
• Gender Nonbinary / Non-Conforming / Fluid / Agender
• Health At Every Size (HAES)
• Healthcare Workers
• Highly Sensitive People
• Lesbian
• Men
• Military Service
• Multiracial
• Neurodivergent
• Polyamorous / Non-Monogamous
• Queer
• Therapists
• Transcultural Adoptee
• Transgender

• ADHD
• Aging
• Alcohol or Substance Use
• Anxiety
• Autism
• Blended Families, Step-Parenting
• Burnout
• Chronic Illness
• Complex Trauma, Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD)
• Depression
• Family Counseling
• Gender Identity Dysphoria/Euphoria
• Intercultural or Interfaith Relationships
• Intergenerational Trauma and Healing
• Medical Trauma and Healing
• Polyamory, Non-Monogamy, Open Relationships
• Self-Esteem/Worth/Compassion
• Social Anxiety
• Socioeconomic Inequity
• Spiritual or Religious Trauma/Abuse
• Stages of Life

• Attachment Theory
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
• Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
• Expressive Arts Therapy
• Internal Family Systems (IFS)
• Liberation / Decolonized Psychology
• Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
• Somatic Experiencing (SE)
• Somatic Psychotherapy
• Transpersonal Psychology
• Trauma-Informed

• ADHD
• Assigned Female at Birth (AFAB)
• Autistic
• Chronic Illness/Pain
• Gender Non-Binary / Non-Conforming / Fluid / Agender
• Highly Sensitive Person
• Neurodivergent
• Queer
• White / European Descent

• Buddhism
• Catholicism
• Christianity
• Interfaith
• Jainism
• Non-Religious / Secular / Atheist / Agnostic
• Sikhism
• Spiritual (non-specific)

• Credit Card

$120 - $140

$50 - $80

• Evenings
• Weekdays

Tracy Smith, PsyD #24366

08/19/2025