Ikeshia Smith, PsyD, LISW
Ikeshia Smith completed her PsyD in Clinical Psychology and is supervised by Dr. John Glovan. In addition, Ikeshia is accuring her independent social worker licensing hours by Joan Raskin, LISW-S. Her interest is in providing therapy and conducting psychological testing/assessments to children, adolescents, and adults. Ikeshia’s treatment approach is integrative with a foundation in cognitive-behavioral therapy. In addition, she utiliizes diactectical behavioral therapy and trauma-focused behavioral therapy. She specializes in mood disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma disorders, crisis intervention and risk assessment, and racial trauma as well as institutional trauma. Ikeshia is passionate about diversity, inclusion and the LGBTQ population.
Ikeshia’s has an extensive history working with children, families, and the geriatric population. She has worked with children and families involving abuse and neglect and participated in Family Reunification Recovery Court to address substance abuse using motivational interviewing skills. In addition, for a special project as a graduate student, she developed an agency hair care pamphlet to expand the knowledge of hair care needs of foster children and its importance for building self-esteem. Recently, she has developed a mental health program for a home health agency. It includes crisis intervention, cognitive-behavioral therapy and dialectical behavioral therapy that addresses older adults with chronic illnesses diagnosed with depression and anxiety. Also, Ikeshia worked as an overnight emergency mental health clinician that assessed for suicidal risk. With diversity and inclusion, Ikeshia participated on the diversity, equity, and inclusion team while completing her APA-Accredited Appalachian Internship, to create an agency-wide social justice program manual to implement among staff located in rural southern Ohio.
Lastly, Ikeshia is currently the chief strategist for a non-profit organization based out of Cleveland, Ohio that helps implement mental health focus groups in religious institutions.
Ikeshia earned her bachelor’s degree from Kent State University in Ohio, her master’s degree from Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, and earned her doctorate of clinical psychology from Capella University.
Favorite Quote
"The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times" -Paulo Coelho
While this quote has been worded differently over time by different people, the meaning remains the same. Life will knock you down time after time, but that is not what counts. What counts is how you continue to get up. It won’t be easy and the solutions won’t be readily accessible. However, the power to keep going when the road is shaky shows not only strength but courage even when we don’t feel it.
Contact
Position:
Clinical Psychologist and
Licensed Independent Social Worker
Address:
8224 Mentor Ave, Suite 208
Mentor Ohio 44060
Email:
ismith@behavioralwellnessgroup.com
Phone:
440-392-2222 EXT 401
Fax:
440-565-2349
Articles
Pressing the Pause Button: Managing Distress with Mindfulness
In the hustle and bustle of modern life, we often find ourselves swept away by the currents of stress and anxiety. It can feel like we’re caught in a whirlwind in these moments, reacting instinctively rather than responding thoughtfully. However, there is a simple yet effective tool at our disposal: the power of pressing the pause button. By consciously choosing to pause, we can shift from a reactive state driven by our primal instincts to a more mindful approach rooted…
Winter 2024 Seasonal Letter
Best Wishes to you and yours as we enter the New Year! The Behavioral Wellness Group remains committed to you and the care of your clients in this New Year! Thanks to your ongoing confidence in us, BWG has increased our number of therapists and services in other states (see website above for details) to meet the demands of our clientele. Our programs are CARF Re-Accredited for the maximum allowable duration which is a testament to our commitment to meeting…
Becoming More of a Positive Person In Today’s World
We often hear about how we need to engage in physical exercise in order to be healthy. There are many options for physical exercise. We can do aerobic exercise to increase breathing and heart rate; there are anaerobic options which strengthen muscles; flexibility exercises stretch muscles and help keep us limber; balance exercises are very important to prevent falls, especially as we age. All of these activities strengthen and reprogram specific parts of the brain. However, how often do we…
Stress and Anxiety Management the DBT Way
Anxiety and stress appear to be the next pandemic. I see so many people who are anxious, overwhelmed, edgy, panicky, full of worry, and always tense. If any of these words describe you and leave you with a constant feeling of uneasiness to all-out panic, you could be suffering from poor stress management. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, or DBT was developed by Marsha Linehan in the 1970s. She had her own experiences with mental illness that perhaps gave her a unique…
Coping with Grief during the Holiday Season
“What am I going to do if something reminds me of Grandpa?” “Who is going to help me decorate the Christmas tree this year?” “I don’t have the energy or the desire to do the things I usually do during the holidays.” If you are someone who has lost a loved one, these may be some of the thoughts that are running through your mind. Although the holidays are usually associated with happiness, joy, smiles and laughter for most individuals,…
When Seasonal Changes Affect Your Moods
Seasonal Affective Disorder How does one distinguish between winter blues and more serious conditions? Many feel sluggish or down during Fall and Winter months. The winter blues are pretty common. If this sadness is profound, it may be a sign of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD is a form of depression which results from decreased light during the darker Fall and Winter months. With decreased sunlight, our internal biological clocks are thrown off, and it feels as though everything is…