Dee Smart

About me

I am an experienced Systemic Family Psychotherapist, Couples Therapist, Clinical Supervisor, Lecturer, Mediator and Coach. I am also the founder of the Berkshire Relationship & Family Therapy Centre (BRFT), where I work with individuals, couples and families to develop greater self-awareness, improve communication and create healthier, more secure relationships.

Experience

I have worked in counselling, psychotherapy, education and practitioner development since 2008. My professional experience includes working as an associate counselling pastor from 2000, before becoming a Relate practitioner, counselling and personal development lecturer, clinical supervisor, course developer and trainer. I have taught counselling programmes at further and higher education levels and provide specialist post-qualifying training in family counselling and systemic practice.

Throughout my career, I have supported clients experiencing complex relationship difficulties, family breakdown, trauma, addiction, co-dependency, parenting challenges, separation, alienation, bereavement and intergenerational conflict.

I currently liaise with Family Courts, Social Services, Thames Valley Police, Children's Services, mediation services, women's refuge agencies, social care professionals, law firms, schools and religious organisations. This breadth of experience enables me to consider both the emotional needs of the individual and the wider relational, cultural and professional systemic contexts surrounding them.

What I offer

My approach is systemic, relational and integrative. Rather than viewing one person as "the problem," I explore how difficulties are shaped and maintained through patterns of communication, family roles, attachment experiences, significant life events and the wider social and cultural context. I draw upon systemic, psychodynamic, attachment-based, trauma-informed, cognitive, behavioural and narrative theories, adapting the work to suit the needs of each individual, couple or family.

Couples

I work with couples experiencing recurring conflict, emotional disconnection, communication breakdowns, loss of trust, infidelities, affairs, intimacy difficulties, parenting disagreements, separation and the impact of extended family relationships. I help each partner move beyond blame and recognise the interactional cycle that keeps the difficulty going.

The work encourages accountability, empathy and emotional honesty, while supporting couples to express their needs more safely and respond to one another with greater understanding. Where reconciliation is possible, we work towards rebuilding connection; where a relationship is ending, I can help the couple manage the separation with clarity, dignity and reduced conflict.

Families

I support families dealing with conflict between parents and children, sibling difficulties, blended-family challenges, estrangement, parenting concerns, trauma, bereavement, separation and significant family transitions. My work explores family roles, alliances, power differences, boundaries, cultural expectations and intergenerational patterns that may be contributing to the current difficulty.

Rather than forcing agreement, I create opportunities for family members to listen differently, understand one another's perspectives and take responsibility for their part in the relational pattern.

Individuals

I work with individuals who want to understand themselves more deeply and recognise how their past may be shaping their present. This may include exploring parental attachment, childhood or adult trauma, family history, culture, identity, loss, addiction, low self-worth, relational anxiety and repeated difficulties in close relationships.

Training and supervision

I provide systemic clinical supervision, consultancy and specialist training for counsellors, psychotherapists and organisations seeking to develop their systemic knowledge and confidence. Through BRFT, I have also developed continuing professional development courses and a Level 5 Post-Qualifying Certificate in Family Therapy and Systemic Practice.