About – Neetu Smith

“Long before I received my professional license and training, I was drawn to the healing potential of caring relationships. A setback at a young age and trauma in an intimate relationship prompted me to change my line of profession: Medicine to Psychology. I obtained a Bachelor’s and then a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Delhi University (India). My further interest in relationships and family dynamics took me to the pursuit of another Master’s and Doctorate degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Texas Tech University. During my PhD, I had the honor of working at Texas Tech University in teaching, mentoring and researcher roles. I have spent the last 20 years doing clinical work in one capacity or another. I find immense gratification in my work with my clients. Therapists often get asked how they take problems of people home with them. I have never held that sentiment – Instead I find that the longer I do the honorable work of therapy, my gratitude grows for the space I get to hold for each client’s experience or suffering. I honestly believe that I get to do some of the most sacred and honorable work there is to do, and in line with that, I hold my work with each client in very high regard.

Mind Body Medicine: I have had fascination with the mind-body interface since childhood when I learned broad meditative and yoga practices. Professionally, I have been fortunate to gain experience in the Mind-Body methods via Post-doctoral training from attending various workshops and conferences as well as from my clinical work with clients. My belief in the potential of mind-body techniques to alleviate our suffering only strengthens with each passing year. I am convinced that in behavioral health treatment, we must integrate the findings from mindfulness and hypnosis research studies that highlight the notion that our minds and bodies are not separate and hence cannot be separately treated. In my therapy work with my clients, I work from this basic premise and successfully use mindfulness-based therapy and clinical hypnosis, and my clients find rapid relief in their symptoms.

Prior to my private practice, I spent some years working with StarCare Lubbock (formerly Lubbock MHMR) as the Director of Adult Behavioral Health Programs, and before that, as a therapist at the Texas Tech Family Therapy Clinic and Family Counseling Services.

I have lived in Lubbock since 2000. Having grown up in New Delhi, a very large city, I now enjoy the benefits of a living in Lubbock, a smaller city, and I am happy to call it my home in the flatlands. Outside of my clinical work, I enjoy cooking,  exercising by taking walks/biking/ jogging/practicing yoga, reading, meditating and spending time with my daughters, Maya and Sofia; and my astronomer husband Collin.”