Dr. Colette Smart
Office Address
505-620 View Street
Victoria, V8W 1Y5
Phone (Work): 2505806387
I am a registered psychologist (#2089) currently registered to practice in BC. My training is in clinical neuropsychology and clinical health psychology. My current practice is focused on serving individuals and families affected by chronic medical illness, injury, and disability, particularly neurological illness, and injury. I provide neuropsychological and psychological assessments, as well as individual psychotherapy and cognitive rehabilitation. Examples of the individuals (adults) I work with include the following:
People with...
Concussion
Moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury
Stroke
Cognitive and emotional problems secondary to COVID-19
Encephalitis
Epilepsy
Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders
Multiple sclerosis
Brain tumors and other types of cancers
Age-related memory loss and dementia
Adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
Psychological difficulties in coping with the impact of chronic illness, injury, and disability
Traumatic stress reactions and disorders (e.g., medical trauma, PTSD after a car accident)
In terms of my overall approach to clinical work, I have found that an existential/humanistic approach works well for clients dealing with illness and injury. That is, rather than trying to find a 'cure', I help clients in coming to a place of acceptance and understanding, as well as developing meaning and purpose living through illness and injury.
I have been trained in a variety of therapeutic modalities (e.g., including cognitive-behavior therapy, interpersonal therapy, and psychodynamic psychotherapy) and typically integrate these according to clients' needs. That said, I have a particular expertise in mindfulness-based approaches and have conducted research on the use of mindfulness-based interventions for persons with brain injury and older adults. I also have a strong interest in trauma and have training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), including attachment-focused EMDR as well as early-intervention EMDR (“R-TEP”) for people who have very recently been exposed to trauma. The majority of my therapeutic work is centered around the individual client, although it is often necessary to involve family in some of the work as medical illness/injury is often an event that impacts the whole family.
In addition to part-time private practice, I am full-time faculty (Associate Professor) in the Department of Psychology at the University of Victoria. I am part of the Graduate Training Faculty for our CPA-Approved Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology. I teach and supervise clinical neuropsychology graduate students in the provision of assessment and intervention services. Prior to coming to UVic, I worked for four years at the JFK-Johnson Rehabilitation Institute/New Jersey Neuroscience Institute in Edison, NJ, a nationally recognized center of excellence for the care of persons with acquired brain injury. In this position I served in a variety of roles, including running a memory disorders clinic for older adults, being the primary neuropsychologist for the movement disorders clinic and also the inpatient general rehabilitation units, and working in outpatient brain injury assessment and intervention.
Primary Areas of Practice
Adult Assessment
Neuropsychological Assessment
Adult Treatment
Adjustment to chronic pain_illness_disability
Anxiety Disorders - Other
Depression
Cognitive Rehab
Adjustment to Brain Injury
Adult Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity
Grief/Bereavement
Stress Management
Spiritual Issues
Dementia
Client Considerations
Approaches used:
Behaviour Therapy
Interpersonal Therapy (IPT)
EMDR
Client-Centred
Existential/Humanistic
Psychodynamic
Integrative Therapy