She completed a doctorate program in Humanistic Existential Psychology at the University of Southern California (U.S.C.) in 1985. She subsequently completed an internship program at a private clinic in Los Angeles. She concurrently taught graduate practicum courses as adjunct faculty at U.S.C. in the doctoral program from which she graduated. Dr. Smith has served as a Qualified Medical Examiner for the State of California, and presently serves as an Oral Examination Commissioner for the Board of Psychology. She and her husband Edward have two daughters and their first (and very beloved) grandchild.