Derek Smith

Derek is a post-graduate student from the counseling program at the University of North Texas, where he received his Master’s in Science in Clinical Counseling in 2020. He also received his Master of Arts in Theological Studies in 2015 and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2002. Derek was a pastor for fifteen years and has worked with various age groups ranging from infants to older adults. Furthermore, he has gained experiential insight through serving and contributing to many international and local communities through church mission trips. Derek has 20 years of creative art experience, which he has a passion for using in counseling – for clients to build insight, awareness, and safety. He believes that counseling through a holistic, integrative approach would help fill a void that many churches are experiencing, and he hopes to bring broader understanding and empathy between mental health and spiritual/religious care. Derek has also worked with a unique population in his graduate internship at the Baylor Scott and White Institute for Rehabilitation-Frisco, counseling a wide variety of individuals who had traumatic brain injuries. Derek offers a diverse and wide range of counseling options. Derek specializes in working with teens, college & adults dealing with trauma, grief, anxiety disorders, depression, guilt, shame, addictions, couples, and family counseling. He is also experienced with teens and young adults experiencing life transition struggles, as well as the LGBTQ population and older adults with end of life decisions. Derek pulls from a variety of theories when working with individuals, including: Adlerian Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Experiential Therapy, Attachment Theory, Art Therapy, Gottman Therapy, Sandtray Therapy, Narrative, Dreamwork as well as Solution-Based Therapy. A native Texan, Derek was adopted and raised in Dallas and has lived in the DFW area his whole life. Being raised by adoptive parents gave Derek an intimate working knowledge of children who are raised by adoptive parents and the challenges that both the parent and child could experience.