Hi. I’m Dr Victoria :)

I am a Johns Hopkins-trained, board certified licensed clinical psychologist with expertise in providing evidence-based treatment of depression, anxiety, mood, life adjustment & stress, and substance use in kids, teens, and adults of the highest quality. Many clients come to see me when they are struggling with life, self-worth, identity, relationships, and finding a sense of meaning and purpose through it all.

you are not alone

My deepest passion is to help people going through difficult times where you feel hopeless, confused — lost. It is in these times where it is important to have a clinician by your side who can help you make sense of such a time, in a way that moves you toward toward positive healing and growth. I am deeply committed to being that person, that clinician, that support for you. You are not alone. I’m here to help you find your path to life again, to walk with you along your journey toward living a life that is filled with joy and meaning — one that is aligned with your deepest values and personal truths.

connect to your true self and the inner light within you

My expertise lies in working with teens, young adults, and adults struggling with depression, anxiety, and mood concerns. I believe that everyone has an inner light within them — and that my role as a psychologist is to hold a sacred space to help you discover and connect to this light you have within you. So often depression and mood concerns can feel insurmountable and make us feel disconnected from life. I love helping people discover their deepest, innermost authentic selves and to connect with it again, to move toward greater healing and wholeness.

develop authentic power and inner resilience

I also specialize in working with teens — many of whom are depressed, anxious, and highly stressed — struggling to find their true voice and identity in a world filled with more competing pressures and perspectives than ever. I am passionate about helping teens develop a genuine presence and authentic voice that they can rely upon in life’s challenges — one that serves as a source of resilience to launch a successful life with great meaning, alignment, and connection with personal values. Many parents bring their teens to me after searching for the right therapist for years — and there is often an immediate, genuine, relatable connection. I am a trusted advisor and consultant to pediatricians, providers, and schools throughout the Washington DC and Northern Virginia region.

warm, high quality approach where you genuinely feel cared for

As a clinical psychologist, I believe that it is important to passionately and intuitively tailor treatment specifically for you based on your unique, individual needs. I would describe myself as a psychologist who likes to take my time with each client, who genuinely cares. I bring a strong dedication and feel that trust, respect, and care for each client is the highest honor and great calling.

find peace and joy again

Across all of my work, I believe that within each person is a voice — one of deep knowing and intuition — that provides wisdom, guidance, and healing. I help people tune into this voice of inner truth within them to find grounding amidst the chaos and stressors of life — to find peace, joy, and healing.

Concierge Care

I work exclusively under a model of care, known as Concierge Care, which allows me to work with fewer patients, giving me the time and space to be fully present and more available to you or your child. My priority is that you feel deeply supported throughout our work together, and this model provides more dedicated time to address individual needs, with the flexibility to address questions, issues, or challenges both during and between sessions.

*Please note that my former name is Dr. Victoria Chialy Smith.

Click here to read my CV.

Philosophy

My therapeutic style is warm, down to earth, relatable, and genuine — a partnership where we creatively and collaboratively explore ways for you to connect to yourself and life again, in a way that feels comfortable, intuitive, and authentic to you. I work to create a safe and supportive, nonjudgmental therapeutic relationship where together, we will navigate what is often an uncertain and challenging time. You will always be challenged and supported toward positive growth in a way where you feel safe, understood, and accepted for who you are. I am passionate about helping you live a life of greater authenticity, hope, and meaning by building upon your natural strengths, gifts, and abilities to overcome challenges you may be facing.

My treatment approach is integrative and grounded in top, innovative evidence-based treatments — drawing from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), mindfulness, and acceptance-based approaches to promote healing, growth, and wellness. I work with each client to highly personalize treatment to your specific concerns, interests, life experiences, and goals.

I believe that relationships are what bring healing — relationships where you feel safe to be yourself, where your life’s pain is met with kindness and compassion — helping you gain a deeper understanding and connection to yourself, where your inner beauty and truth is mirrored back to you. One of my deepest intentions in your therapeutic work with me, is for you to feel a strong sense of unconditional positive regard for who you are, where you’ve been, and what you’ve been through. It is with this foundation of trust, unconditional positive regard, that you will feel safe for healing, growth, and transformation to happen.

The best within you arises from this kind of energy and therapeutic relationship, and it’s the kind of experience I seek to provide for each of my clients, as well as each client who is seen here at Hope+Wellness.

My Story

My own family life was significantly affected by bipolar (manic depression), an illness with multiple members affected.  I understand firsthand the pain and devastation that depression, mood disorders, stress, and anxiety can bring — how difficult it can be to work through periods of suffering and hopelessness, and the critical difference that therapy and support can make in healing.

Given how stigmatized mental health can be in our society, I know how important it is to openly share my story. These life experiences motivate me. They deeply inform my clinical work with clients, and inspired me to establish this practice to help others struggling with depression, mood, stress, and anxiety know that hope and wellness are possible — that through darkness can come greater light, wisdom, and wholeness.

Education and Training

Over the course of my career, I obtained advanced training and expertise in a wide variety of evidence-based therapies at leading institutions, including the University of Maryland College Park, Children’s National Health Systems, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, Kennedy Krieger Institute, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In my training, I am grateful for the opportunity of training with outstanding mentors and organizations who were dedicated to providing therapy of the highest quality. I am honored to walk alongside and support all my patients over the years through difficult journeys and events in their lives.

clinical psychologist training and education

I earned my master’s and doctorate degrees in Clinical Psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park, which is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). where I trained in pediatric psychology and behavioral medicine at Children's National Health Systems and in general child and adult psychology at the University of Maryland Psychology Clinic.

For my clinical residency, I completed a predoctoral internship at Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where I worked as a clinician at Johns Hopkins Hospital and received training in the LEND (Maternal and Child Health Leadership in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities) fellowship program. I then completed a postdoctoral fellowship training at the National Institutes of Health, where I pursued my interests in advancing clinical health and science at the federal level.

board certification

I am board certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology in the specialty of Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology (i.e., CBT and its modern approaches including DBT, ACT). Very few psychologists achieve board certification which is why you so rarely see it — it is a rigorous process with extensive review of your credentials and clinical work with patients. Obtaining board certification represents the highest standard and level of commitment to providing quality, evidence-based care.

business and leadership education

I am passionate about entrepreneurialism and hold an MBA in Healthcare Management and Leadership from Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. I believe that businesses can serve to elevate society, and am dedicated to this mission as Founder + Executive Director of Hope+Wellness.

Clinical Research + Expertise

Clinical research plays a critical role in improving and accelerating therapies for those living with depression and anxiety today. Research — knowing how to advance it, incorporate it, contribute to it, interpret it to best help patients — is a critical aspect of providing mental health care that is effective, innovative, and evidence-based.

I have published 18 peer reviewed articles across leading, high impact scientific journals and 40+ national, peer-reviewed conference presentations on topics that range from depression in children, maternal depression, mood disorders, anxiety, parenting, life stress.

Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology

Psychological Medicine

Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine

Sleep Medicine

Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology

Child Development Perspectives

Developmental Psychobiology

My expertise has also been relied upon in various media outlets including:

Oprah Daily

Psychology Today

Bustle

Medium

Thrive Global

I am also deeply interested in innovative treatments for depression and mental health, including the growing body of research on psychedelic plant medicine as treatments for depression, end of life grief, existential suffering, trauma, PTSD, and mental health. I received training and certification from Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Science (MAPS), and the California Institute of Integrative Science (CIIS), to help patients safely, effectively navigate this growing field of psychedelic medicine to help bring a wide breath of life changing benefits.

Certifications

• Board Certified, Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology, American Board of Professional Psychology

  • Board certification is an extensive process that very few psychologists achieve; it represents the highest standard and level of commitment to providing quality, evidence-based care.

• Psychedelic Therapy and Research Certification, California Institute of Integrative Studies

  • I am committed to advancing innovative research and treatments for mood disorders and depression and am certified to provide high quality, ethical psychedelic assisted therapy services.

Service

I am passionate about serving the community, supporting various health-related causes and initiatives throughout my training and career at the university, local, national, and federal levels. Previously, I served as the Executive Board Secretary and Governance Chair for the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI), Northern Virginia to advance mental health awareness and support for individuals in Northern Virginia. I have also served on executive board for the Northern Virginia Clinical Psychologists (NVCP), a non-profit association of local psychologists in Northern Virginia.

My interests in service are strongly tied to my passion for entrepreneurship. Specifically, I believe that people, purpose, passion and values are the core of a business, and that the role of a business is to serve the greater community and to foster a greater sense of connection. As a woman of color, I opened Hope+Wellness to give a different face to mental health care — one in which diversity is naturally celebrated and interwoven throughout, where people of all types feel truly at home and welcome.

Clinical interests and passions

depression, anxiety, mood concerns, existential concerns

"I specialize in evidence-based treatments for depression, anxiety, mood disorders, and existential concerns. I am passionate about helping individuals navigate difficult times by building on their natural strengths, empowering them to not only cope but to thrive. My goal is to support you in becoming the fullest version of yourself, even in the face of life's challenges.

adjusting to difficult times and life transitions

Many of the people I see are going through difficult seasons in their life and are seeking help and support to adjust and to make sense of it all. Life can be so difficult and bring with it unimaginable suffering. I feel a deep connection to people going through times like this and am passionate about supporting people to find light, meaning, and hope again. I believe one of the central questions of life is how to not only cope with pain, but to find ways to transcend it toward a greater sense of wholeness and fulfillment.

pre-teen and teen girls, identity, self-esteem, finding your authentic voice in the world

I specialize in working with many teen girls who are feeling depressed, anxious, hopeless, and in the process of developing their identity and finding their unique place in the world. I work with each teen to help them develop a perspective on life that feels authentic to them, and to make contact and further develop greater confidence, self esteem, and an inner resilience to cope with many of the stressors that life tends to bring. Many of the teens I work with are enormously high achievers, gifted, with strong passions, desires, with high internal pressures. Many parents bring their teens to me after searching for the right therapist for years — there is often an immediate, relatable connection, a genuine one with unconditional positive regard and trust.

authentic leadership development

I believe anyone can be a leader — even if you don’t necessarily feel like one. I will work with you to help you develop a leadership style that is authentic and personally meaningful — to feel confident and at ease in your role and to find strength and resilience in whatever life and business bring your way.

gifted children and adults

I work with many individuals who are gifted and often experience life in unique ways. This can lead to feelings of loneliness, shame, emotional sensitivity, overwhelm, and social isolation, especially when their giftedness is not fully recognized or validated by their environment. Navigating a world that may not always understand or accommodate giftedness can be extremely challenging. I am passionate about helping children, teens, and adults embrace their giftedness and manage its complexities, empowering them to fully realize their highest potential.

men and men’s issues

I am passionate about supporting men and fathers, a dedication rooted in my experience of being raised by a single father. I understand, both personally and professionally, how challenging it can be to step into the roles of provider and protector, especially when you haven’t always received the support or resources you yourself needed. My goal is to help men navigate these complexities, finding balance, strength, and a sense of wholeness as they care for themselves and their families and loved ones.

Areas of Expertise

Academic Stress and Pressure
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Adjustment to Chronic Health Conditions
Adjusting to Life Transitions
Adolescence
ADHD
Anxiety
Attention Problems
Bipolar
Child Anxiety
Child Depression
Child Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Creatives, Artists
Depression
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Discovering Your Identity
Entrepreneurs
Executive Coaching
Existential Depression
Finding Meaning and Purpose
Finding Passion and Creativity Again
Giftedness
Generalized Anxiety
General Stress of Being Human
Grief and Loss
Identity
Leadership Development
Life Stress
Life Transitions
Living with a Chronic Illness
Low Self Esteem
Maternal Depression
Maternal Anxiety
Mid-Life Crisis
Mood Disorders
Perfectionism
Persistent Depressive Disorder
Personal Growth
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
Pre-teens
Psychedelic Integration Therapy
Relationship and Communication Difficulties
Seasonal Affective Disorders
Self-Care
Self-Criticism
Self-Esteem
Sensitivity
Social Anxiety
Stress Management
Struggling to Launch
Substance Use
Teens
Teen Girls
Quarter-Life Crisis
Young Adults

more ABOUT ME

What I Like to do for Fun

In my free time, I enjoy hiking and spending time in nature. As anyone who has visited our offices knows, I LOVE interior decorating and have a passion for interior design. I enjoy creating spaces that promote a feeling of serenity, peace and wellness that is deeply felt, the moment you step in through the doors.

I believe…

light can be found in darkness. that there is a purpose to darkness and it is to help you connect to your inner light. I believe pain can be made sense of, that something meaningful can come from it. I believe there is something beautiful within you and the work of therapy is to help you connect to it. I believe in the power of creativity and voice in healing and transcendence.

What I love about working at Hope+Wellness

the sense of authenticity that everyone brings. The sincere care each person has for clients and the deep relationships that result. The sense of service to something greater. Unconditional positive regard, support provided not only to clients but with people on our team.

thoughts on psychotherapy

we look like humans but inside each of us is an entire universe. As a therapist, I see each client like an unfolding sunset, I can’t help but be in awe. It is with this energy that you will be met, with genuine support and unconditional positive regard. I think when therapists bring these qualities to the therapeutic relationships, as clients, it is like uncovering a dream long forgotten — we remember that place inside ourselves which is a place of security, safety, authenticity, love.

I love working with teens because…

I was once that same teen. I understand and remember what it was like, and yet survived and made it through. It is meaningful to me to now be able to work with teens to help them through the same things I once struggled with. It is like reaching across time. The moment I meet each person I work with, this connection is deeply felt.

Professional Associations and Memberships

American Psychedelic Practioners Association (APPA)
Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA)
Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT)
American Psychological Association (APA)
DC Psychological Association (DCPA)
Maryland Psychological Association (MPA)
National Register of Health Service Psychologists
Northern Virginia Clinical Psychologists (NVCP)
Psychedelic Assisted Therapy and Healing (PATH)
Society for Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (APA, Division 53)
Society for a Science of Clinical Psychology (SSCP, APA Division 12, Section III)
Washington Independent Services for Educational Resources

Licensure

Virginia (0810005946)
Maryland (06230)
District of Columbia (PSY1001633)
California (PSY35157)
Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT). Telehealth is typically limited to the state in which a clinician is licensed. However, I hold a special type of authorization to provide telehealth across 30+ states.

favorite QUOTES

Get ready, because everyone knows I am obsessed with quotes:

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