Meet Evan Smith

We recently connected with Evan Smith and have shared our conversation below.

Evan, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?

Throughout my childhood and teenage years, I played competitive sports. In my high school years, I focused on basketball and leveraged that as a space for me to become exposed to several people and places that I was very passionate about. As I navigated injuries, successes, and failures, I learned the importance of doing everything in my control to impact my situation. At that time, I had mantras, quotes, and biblical verses that motivated and shaped my willingness to embrace challenges. As I transitioned into young adulthood, I realized that many of the aspirations that I previously had were possible with a little hard work – huge shout out to the people who pushed me along the way – I continued to dream big. I have only tried to remain willing to display effort above what is required or expected in order to gain momentum for minorities looking to make an impact. My professional aspirations hinge on the effort that I contribute to something larger than myself, making spaces for racial minorities in counseling and mental health.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor – Associate (LPC-A) in the Houston area who specializes in OCD and anxiety-related disorders. I am currently working to build a practice where I can utilize an evidence-based treatment approach called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to support individuals who identify as racial minorities or anxiety/performers. Currently, I am doing individual therapy, but will soon expand to group therapy and mental performance consulting. This means the capability to reach more individuals using a treatment approach that can be supportive of people looking to live a more fulfilling life. Currently, I work at Ethos Wellness, a well-known treatment facility in the Houston area.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I would encourage other people who are early in their journey to invest in relationships and connections. If you can be personable and genuine with others early on, it can set you up for success in finding job placements, mentors, scholarships, grants, and other opportunities. In addition to being personable and genuine, I would encourage everyone in this field to develop a sense of persistence. The journey of growing as an impactful clinician is a long one with many ups and downs. Oftentimes, when we believe that we have reached new heights, we realize just how much more room there is to grow. While everyone’s success is relative to their own aspirations, I believe these qualities are important for all clinicians.

Tell us what your ideal client would be like?

An ideal client is an individual who is struggling with OCD or an anxiety-related disorder and is willing to engage in challenge themselves in treatment to live a more fulfilling life. Our work hinges on an individual’s values and aspirations in life, and clients who can identify what is most important to them are a great fit for treatment. As a part of treatment, we will engage in something called Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), which will ask you to face the things that people often fear. By doing this, you will be one step closer to freedom from OCD and anxiety.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ethoswellness.com/team/evan-smith/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evsmith00/
• Other: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/evan-smith-houston-tx/1602065