Katie Smith, LCSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified PCIT Global Trainer and the Executive Training Director of Parent Child Interaction Therapy, Incorporated. Katie was born in Colorado, raised in Northwest Arkansas, and currently lives in Missouri.

 

Katie Smith completed her undergraduate education at the University of Arkansas with a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology.  Katie continued her education at the University of Arkansas earning her Master of Social Work degree. While earning her Master’s degree, Katie completed an internship rotation at a local domestic violence shelter providing crisis counseling, and leading therapeutic groups to women and children affected by domestic violence. As the capstone experience of her graduate training, Katie completed a yearlong internship at a rural elementary school leading therapeutic groups for children with ADHD, low self-esteem, learning disorders and other various mental health concerns.

 

Upon graduation with her Master’s degree Katie moved to Missouri and started her career as a Community Behavioral Health Liaison at the community Crisis Center. While at the Crisis Center, Katie collaborated with law enforcement, courts, and mental health providers to save resources that might otherwise be expended on unnecessary jail, prison and hospital stays and to improve outcomes of individuals with behavioral health issues. Katie became a Suicide Prevention Trainer and conducted suicide prevention trainings including Signs of Suicide, in local schools for hundreds of students.

 

Katie continued to serve children over the next three years as an outpatient therapist for children ages 2-18 years of age. During her time as an outpatient therapist, Katie received multiple certifications in evidence-based modalities. Realizing most of her career has been devoted to children who have experienced trauma, Katie became certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). She also became certified in Problematic Sexual Behaviors Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (PSB-CBT) and lead the treatment team in providing preschool and school-age treatment groups. Katie is certified in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Motivational Interviewing.

 

In 2017, Katie received training in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) and provided PCIT services to hundreds of families. This is where her love and passion for PCIT developed. Katie continued on as a supervisor for PCIT Therapists in 2020. Katie joined Parent Child Interaction Therapy Incorporated in 2020, becoming a Certified Global Trainer.

 

In 2021, Katie established her private practice where she primarily sees young children for PCIT and trauma treatment. In 2021, Katie became the Executive Training Director at Parent Child Interaction Therapy Incorporated. Katie currently coordinates all PCIT Trainings, manages our social media, and further develops the online, self-paced PCIT Training.

 

Overall, Katie’s primary goal is to continue to train practitioners across the globe in PCIT, who will in turn serve families and positively impact the lives of children. The greatest goal of her career is to have a part in children growing up in positive households and to feel the power of a positive praise.

 

When she is not organizing our Parent Child Interaction Therapy Training Team, Katie enjoys organizing her home and planning activities for her two young children. Katie loves to create art in the form of painting, crafting, and baking epic cakes. Katie loves to relax with a good book and a glass of wine.