Today we’d like to introduce you to Robert Smith.
Robert, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I began doing private practice in the mid-1980’s on a part-time basis while working full-time for psychiatric and addicts treatment programs. I worked full-time from 1989-1999 at Advocate Lutheran General in the Department of Psychiatry and for Advocate Medical Group as a Clinical Manager and Outpatient Psychiatry Coordinator. I continued in part-time private practice until 1999 when I decided to go into full-time private practice. In February 2014, I formed Smith Psychotherapy Associates, S.C. as my son Daniel Smith, MSW, LCSW and my niece Rachel Nitzarim, Ph.D., LCP, joined the practice. I have continued to be a part-time faculty member in the Department of Psychiatry teaching psychiatry resident’s psychotherapy and clinical ethics since 1999. In addition, I have been a board member for the National Association of Social Workers Illinois Chapter as the Northeastern District Chair. July 1, 2015-June 30, 2017. My clinical practice has focused on providing individual, family, and couples therapy. I provide services to adults and older adults experiencing problems ranging from mental health and psychological trauma, to medical conditions, addictions, and relationship conflicts. I specialize in providing Strategic and Solution-Oriented approaches to psychotherapy, and Ericksonian clinical hypnotherapy for depression, anxiety, and pain management. I also supervise social workers working on preparation for their clinical license (LCSW) exam.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Much of my career has been a smooth road with promotions from one position to another. Although, when I worked in the addictions field in the 1980’s during a time of upheaval in health care insurance, I changed positions as companies went out of business because of poor insurance coverage, which greatly affected the addictions field. I found the psychiatric social work field to be financially stable. When I transitioned into full-time private practice, in 1999, I was well established as a known provider in the northern suburbs of Chicago. I continued to collaborate with physicians, psychologists, and clinical social workers at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital as an Allied Health Staff and Faculty Member. In 2016, I contracted with Northshore University Health System Professional staff to expand my group practice, and I also contracted with a number of Employee Assistance Programs (EAP’s) to provide clinical services. Diversification and collaboration have been the hallmark of having a successful career.
Please tell us about Smith Psychotherapy Associates.
I formed Smith Psychotherapy Associates, S.C. when my son and niece joined the practice as part-time providers. We are a small family practice working closely together to provide services to the community. Between the three of us, we provide psychotherapy for mental health, psychological trauma, medical conditions, eating disorders, and addictions to adolescents, adults, and older adults. Daniel and I are specially trained in providing clinical hypnotherapy for depression, anxiety, trauma, stress, and pain management. Rachel is additionally trained and provides eating disorder and trauma treatment. We treat those who have experienced child sexual abuse, incest, rape, and traumas related war, accidents, injuries, and surgery. We also work with individuals and families dealing with health conditions such as cancer, cardiac disease, diabetes, and multiple sclerosis to name a few. Couples therapy is provided for problems with extra-marital affairs, communication dysfunction, power struggles, learning how to move from being an individual to being a couple in early marriage, parenting, and anger management. What sets us apart from other providers, is that, we believe that treatment works best by providing “best practices,” including collaborating with referral sources, primary care physicians, psychiatrists, and other specialists. We also have advanced training in different clinical practices. Providing successful clinical treatment helps us to stand out in the crowd of many hundreds of therapists in the Chicago area.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I were to start over, I would have focused my work in psychiatric social work. Those clients having addictions and co-morbid problems are at least 25-30 percent of my client caseload. I wouldn’t have had to deal with companies going out of business and the stress involved in all of that change. I also might have begun full-time private practice a few years earlier, which would have financially helped my family earlier, but I don’t regret having worked at a hospital for ten years while developing professional skills and relationships.
Pricing:
- $125 cash payment per visit; sliding scale is considered; payment plans can be developed.
- $60 cash for professional clinical supervision.
Contact Info:
- Address: Smith Psychotherapy Associates, S.C.: Robert J. Smith, MSW, LCSW
241 Golf Mill Center, Ste. 708 Niles, Illinois 60714 - Website: smithpsychotherapyassociates.com
- Phone: (847) 824-8366 ext. 0
- Email: rjsmithpa@gmail.com
Image Credit:
Daniel Smith and Rachel Nitzarim
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