Ava Smith

About

I would rather be frank: choosing a therapist while you are struggling is a strange and tiring chore, and the fact that you are reading this at all says something good about you. I want the rest of the process to be easier than the search has been. I grew up in a family where caregiving was simply what we did, so this work has always felt like home. Today I help adults who cycle through manic episodes and the crashes that follow, and who want their energy back on their own terms. Low mood that lingers for months is the other thing I treat most, and it responds far better than it feels like it will. We start with distress tolerance, because surviving the hardest moments opens the door to every other change. You will leave our early sessions with a clear plan, not a vague promise that things take time. I bring real energy into the room and I am openly hopeful on your behalf. Come as you are, skepticism included. I would be glad to meet you.