Hi, I’m Smith Krueger.

I am a psychotherapist, an adventurer/explorer, an existential detective, a sibling, a parent, a friend (in no particular order of importance.) I like to write, I like to think about things, I like to help people, I like to learn about everything (like seriously, there are so many things to learn)and probably because I like to do all of those things, I also like to surf, snowboard, ride bikes, play, sail, dive, laugh, cry, create, and love as much as possible.  This life we live; it’s amazing, it’s hard, and sometimes it gets a little weird.  Somewhere along the way, I got pretty good at helping people navigate the amazing, hard, and weird; and I enjoy the opportunity to become a part of the journey.  Being good at and enjoying what I do is important, but most folks also want to know that I am highly qualified; which brings us to the important stuff that you are probably wondering about:

• I have a M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Adams State University
• I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the State of Hawaii
• I have extensive training in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Trauma-Focused CBT, Trauma-Informed Care, Motivational Interviewing, Substance Use and Addictions, Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), as well as training as a consultant/trainer. 

 Additional thoughts about treatment modality:

I originally came into the field working from a cognitive behavioral perspective; I got very good very fast at rooting out unhelpful cognitive beliefs, and then very promptly became pretty disenchanted with how that style of therapy encourages gaslighting ourselves into being better versions, which is actually just more palatable for whatever the fuck kind of society we are currently living in. I shifted and got additional training in EMDR, PTSD, trauma-informed care, etc. and I worked for years with folks individually, supporting gains in their treatment, improving lives, ya know, all the things.  I eventually ended up pretty burnt out on dragging people out of the trauma trash garbage dump river and helping them recover and regain themselves, only to find another floating down the same river just a minute later.  I mean how are so many people ending up in this gross river anyway?

So, I quit.  I just couldn’t anymore-I had a baby who was very cute, who I really wanted to show up as my full self for, not a depleted and tired version of myself who had whatever leftover for them at the end of the day.  I started sewing, for fun at first, but then folks wanted to pay me to sew stuff for them; and I built a whole company in a totally unrelated field-riding bikes and eating snacks. The company I built thrived on connection, collaboration, and created a whole community dedicated to riding bikes, having fun, and helping the environment by diverting materials from the landfill and re-purposing said materials into bags to carry snacks and cool stuff while out on adventures! 

Some smart zen dude says; Anywhere you go, there you are-and that’s what I discovered.  I was still having the same deep conversations with people about all the feels and real-life situations, and beginning to support facilitating those conversations between parties feels like the starting point for so much change that needs to happen to keep folks from falling into the trash garbage dump river to start with.

I’ve chosen to come back to practice with the hope and intention of beginning to support the rebuild and restructure of the systems that have been dumping people into the trauma trash garbage dump river.  As such, I’ve made some shifts-I’ve come to realize over time and practice with clients, my own therapist, and growing with my  own community that there is a whole element of healing that is being completely missed by some of the traditional structures of psychotherapy.  Here are the shifts that I’m making, and you’ll hear from me about during our sessions-

1. We can process the absolute hell out of your trauma, and things are only going to get as better as the society and structures we are existing within.  (Gestures theatrically to the dumpster fire of America right now).
2. Some of the things you are being asked to be ok with right now are absolutely not ok, and while I’m trying hard to not sit through sessions just stating “welp-thats late stage capitalism, baby” on repeat, there is an element of what is going on in our worlds right now that is…well….ITS LATE STAGE CAPITALISM, BABY!  
3. I believe, I know, I have seen that the way through this is together-as humans we absolutely must learn how to co-exist and co-regulate; to rely and relate to one another as the imperfect wild beasts we are. There is so much perfection in the imperfect-bringing our whole selves to our community, to each other, learning how to cultivate acceptance and inclusivity is how we get through this.  

4. We will get through this.