Rhonda L. Smith, PhD

My pronouns are she/her/hers. I earned my PhD from the University of Arizona where my training included evaluation and treatment of childhood and adolescent disorders such as learning disabilities, anxiety, depression, autism spectrum disorder, mood/behavior concerns, and ADHD. I am a licensed psychologist in the state of Arizona, nationally certified school psychologist, and hold a teaching certificate in the state of Arizona with an early childhood endorsement and reading specialist K-12 endorsement. My belief in children and that all children can be successful led me to become a teacher. During this time in my career, I found that I worked more and more with children who had significant difficulties being successful due to social-emotional, behavioral, and learning challenges. I soon realized that my true passion was working with and helping children and their families to be successful, which led me to becoming a licensed psychologist.

In addition to my private practice, I also work as a School Psychologist and work with children as young as 3. Given my professional background, I have extensive experience working with children and their families in the educational setting and am knowledgeable about the various ways social-emotional and behavioral difficulties, medical conditions, developmental delays, and learning disabilities might impact a child’s ability to be successful both in and outside the educational setting.

I believe evaluations are a collaborative process to help the child and family learn about strengths and areas of need, which then assists in creating a treatment plan specific to the child. In therapy, I use cognitive-behavioral interventions and other evidence-based methods to provide treatment that best meets each child's unique needs. However, if the child’s needs change, then so does the treatment plan.

As a parent, I understand how much we want to help our children when they are having difficulties and that sometimes there are challenges we face as parents during these difficult times. Sometimes these challenges can leave parents feeling frustrated, exhausted, and hopeless. I believe these difficulties and challenges can be resolved and, yes, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I truly look forward to working with you and your child to collaboratively create a treatment plan focused on positive change and growth!