K. David Smith, LCSW, CASDCP, CCTP, CFTP

Dec 3

Hi, I’m David. I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and psychotherapist. I’m also a Certified Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist, Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, and Certified Family Trauma Professional. I specialize in neurodiversity-affirming and trauma-informed therapy to help people and families who have autism, ADHD, PDA, or who have experienced trauma, abuse, divorce, and other complex life challenges.

Much of my professional experience, before entering private practice, was as a school-based therapist in elementary schools. I’ve also been a management consultant specializing in healthcare, as well as a parent educator, community organizer, public speaker, trainer, manager, and writer, among other things.

I come from a family of healers and helpers – doctors, nurses, chiropractors, therapists, pastors – so service to others is more or less in my blood.

I’m a late-diagnosed autistic, self-identified PDAer and Twice-Exceptional person, and someone who has been working for much of my life to overcome childhood trauma, periods of burnout, and relationship and parenting challenges. I approach my work as a fellow traveler, not as an academic or “expert.” My lived experience and the work that I have done myself to go from merely surviving to thriving are essential elements to my therapeutic approach. I will walk the path alongside you, wherever it takes us.

When I'm not seeing clients, you can find me hanging out with my family watching movies, traveling the world, spending time in nature, writing, or playing games. I’m also a lifelong sailor who aspires to sail around the world, or at least an ocean, someday before I get too decrepit to do so.

My wife and kids also love to make music whenever we can. Between us, one or more members of my family play piano, guitar, saxophone, trumpet, drums, and a little violin. Not much of that repertoire is me, but music is a big part of our lives. We also go on a lot of adventures together, and enjoy scuba diving, hiking, and exploring. I’ve traveled to 47 of the 50 US states and 17 countries on 4 continents. These days I spend a lot of time in Mexico, Peru, and other parts of Latin America with my wife, who is also a psychotherapist, born and licensed in Peru.

I love to write and have several books in progress – a handbook for late-diagnosed autistic adults, a guide for parents and teachers of children with trauma, another to help healers and caregivers deal with burnout, and just for fun, a historical novel set in 8th-century Constantinople. I’m constantly learning and am usually in the middle of some new training program on an aspect of therapy and healing that I find interesting.

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