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About Me.

Laura Smestad, PhD, LMHC, NCC, NCSC

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I received my Master of Arts in Counseling in 2014 from the University of Holy Cross in New Orleans, Louisiana, and I received my PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from Antioch University Seattle in 2023. I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and approved clinical supervisor in the state of Washington (#LH60969052), a National Certified Counselor (NCC), and a National Certified School Counselor (NCSC).

As a therapist, I specialize in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and related disorders. I have received extensive training on the diagnosis and treatment of OCD through the International OCD Foundation's Behavior Therapy Training Institute (BTTI) as well as through Polaris Family Behavioral Health. I have experience using exposure and response prevention (ERP) to treat OCD in clients ages 4-50, and I have trained and supervised associate-level clinicians who treat OCD.  

I am an adjunct faculty member in the clinical mental health counseling program at Antioch University Seattle, where I teach courses on psychopathology, psychodiagnostics, and OCD. I have presented at numerous conferences on OCD symptomology, and I am extremely passionate about increasing OCD awareness and dismantling OCD stereotypes. I am also the author of a series of exposure therapy workbooks designed for people with OCD.

View my curriculum vitae

Fun Facts About Me

I love hiking and mountaineering.

I play the guitar.

I enjoy taking aerial classes.

I love coffee.

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