Dr. Frederick Smoot
Relationship-focused therapist with practical tools
LMFT California
- Experience
- 5 years in practice
- Focus areas
- Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Family
- Approaches
- Gottman Method, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Languages
- English
About Frederick
Dr. Frederick Smoot is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who brings five years of clinical practice to his work in California.
Background and approach
He offers steady presence, respect, and a calm, curious approach when people come in feeling stuck or overwhelmed. He talks plainly and focuses on practical steps that help people move forward.
He meets clients where they are and builds shared goals together. Sessions center on clear conversation, emotional support, and strategies tailored to each person's situation.
He draws on several methods to match what a client needs in the moment. Dr.
Smoot uses relationship-focused work alongside mindfulness and cognitive tools to address stress, anxiety, and depression. He also helps with addiction, grief, trauma and abuse, intimacy concerns, and parenting challenges.
Additional focus areas include attachment struggles, communication problems, and caregiver stress. His style is warm and direct.
He aims to create space without shame while helping clients identify behaviors to change and practical steps to try. Therapy is described in everyday terms so people can use ideas between sessions.
People who reach out can expect a collaborative plan that balances supportive listening with concrete skills. Dr.
Smoot encourages honest conversation about what’s working and what needs adjustment. The goal is steady progress toward clearer relationships and better day-to-day coping.
Therapeutic approaches to use online
Dr. Smoot often combines the Gottman Method with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help clients address relationship patterns and personal values. The Gottman-influenced work focuses on improving communication, rebuilding trust, and managing conflict in day-to-day interactions. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy encourages noticing thoughts and feelings while moving toward actions that match personal values, which helps with anxiety, depression, and life transitions.He approaches therapy collaboratively, so finding the right approach is part of the work together. At the first sessions he will listen to your concerns, discuss possible ways to proceed, and tailor methods to your goals and preferences. That shared decision-making helps ensure the plan fits your needs rather than being one-size-fits-all.
Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to make therapy flexible. Video is useful for deeper conversation and exercises that benefit from face-to-face interaction. Phone sessions are good when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in fits a break at work. Live chat and messaging suit brief updates, coaching-style guidance, or people who prefer writing between sessions. These options let clients fit therapy into busy schedules and maintain steady progress.
Frequently asked questions
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Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
5+ years
Licensed in
California
Languages
English