Gail Smith, LMHC
Specialties: Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, Adolescents, Adults, Couples, Family & Cultural Expectations, Relationship Conflict, Existential Questioning.
Rates: $205 · individual session | $255 · couples session
You've achieved a great deal, yet it rarely feels like enough. Success brings only brief relief before the goal post moves again. Maybe you feel exhausted, or guilty whenever you're not productive. Or perhaps you've built a life that looks successful from the outside, yet doesn't feel aligned with who you are on the inside. Deep down, there's a sense you can't keep going like this. You deserve a life that honors all of who you are—one where your needs matter today, not only after the next milestone.
Growing up between Hong Kong and the U.S. gave me a deep understanding of how culture, family, and expectations shape our beliefs about what it means to be enough.
I work with ambitious adults who are ready to loosen achievement's grip on their self-worth and build lives that feel more meaningful, connected, and authentically their own.
My work is grounded in AEDP, an approach guided by a simple belief: when we allow ourselves to feel, we heal. Together, we’ll blend insight with emotional and body-based work, creating a safe container to experience your emotions and strengthen your mind-body connection, so you can feel more whole. If these ideas resonate, I warmly invite you to reach out.
Q & A
What does therapy with you actually feel like?
Therapy with me is a place where you don't have to perform or explain things perfectly. We might slow down, sit with silence, laugh unexpectedly, or notice what your body is communicating before words arrive. I believe in bringing my full self into our work together, and leading with curiosity rather than judgement. I’ll often check my understanding of what you’re sharing, because my foremost goal is for you to feel wholly understood.
What's a question you find yourself asking clients often?
"What are you noticing right now?"
It’s simple, but it can be surprisingly powerful! Whether it's a tightness in your chest, an urge to look away, or a feeling that's difficult to name, these moments often point us toward something important. We’ll practice listening to these signals with curiosity and compassion.
What's something people are surprised to learn about you?
My background in anthropology and my work as a filmmaker have taught me that we don't exist in a vacuum. The people we become are deeply influenced by the ecosystems we grow up in and the stories we inherit about who we are and who we should be. I see each person as someone shaped by relationships, culture, and life experiences—not in isolation. Exploring those influences helps us better understand ourselves and make more intentional choices about who we want to become.
Outside of the therapy room, you'll often find me exploring a new hiking trail, gardening, or most recently, trying (and mostly failing) to identify edible mushrooms.
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