Dr. Bridget Smith joined VCU as the Athletics Counselor in October of 2023.

She is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Certified Mental Performance Consultant, who received her PsyD in clinical psychology from James Madison University and her masters in Sport and Performance Psychology from the University of Denver.

In her role at VCU she provides individual psychological services, programming and outreach, and consultation services to teams and athletics staff.

Prior to VCU she completed both her clinical internship and post-doctoral residency at the James Madison University Counseling Center before joining as a senior staff psychologist where she specialized in trauma, eating and body image concerns, and student athlete mental health. During her tenure at JMU she played a role in establishing the integrated healthcare team within the athletics department to better meet the need of student-athletes.

What is it like to work with me?

As a clinician, I am committed to cultivating change through warmth, humor, and fostering a sense of empowerment in my individual and group work. I hope to provide a supportive and safe space where student-athletes feel able to explore why they may be experiencing difficulty and how to move forward. I work from an attachment framework and also incorporate interpersonal process to help students better understand how they relate to themselves and others. I also like to integrate cognitive and mindfulness-based interventions in my work.

Click here to schedule an initial meeting with VCU Athletics Counseling Services.