It helps to have some assurance that we will be a good fit before we work together, so here’s a bit about my professional and personal life.

My fascination with psychology began as a child, growing up in the family-owned bar. Watching my father defuse all manner of problems, I knew that I had found my calling. (You might be surprised how clinically savvy a bar owner must be.)

I worked my way through the University of Colorado at Denver with jobs ranging from security guard to loading dock worker, and earned B.A. degrees in Psychology and Communication. Having grown up and worked in colorful environments, I took a special interest in verbal de-escalation skills and wrote Surviving Aggressive People: Practical Violence Prevention Skills for the Workplace and the Street.

 

In 2006 I earned my doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Denver. There, I enjoyed the supervision of top-notch clinical trainers. I was also lucky enough to train at the Colorado Department of Corrections, the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and the International Commission for Missing Persons in Bosnia, among others.

My clinical training has included the treatment of trauma, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and traumatic brain injury. Early in my clinical training, I took a special interest in treating anxiety disorders and depression using some of the latest, empirically-supported treatments. Having been in private practice for more than five years now, I have tried to capture the lessons from my trainers and clients in my latest book, The User’s Guide to the Human Mind: Why Our Brains Make Us Unhappy, Anxious, and Neurotic and What We Can Do About It. 

 

I live in Lakewood with my family and a relatively well-behaved dog named Hachi, who occasionally helps out with my online column at IronShrink.com (here and here).

Shawn T. Smith, Psy.D.
4045 Wadsworth, Suite 200
Wheat Ridge, CO 80033

(303) 818-5162
shawn@mesapsych.com