My practice

I offer short, medium, and long-term psychotherapy services to a diverse clientele. Indeed, I have developed an expertise related to mood and personality disorders, as well as an interest in existential questions, including death, solitude, the meaning of life, and freedom. I also have enriched experience working with individuals from LGBTQ+ communities. I provide services in French and English.

I have also participated in several research projects, including studies on bipolar disorder, issues related to sexual and gender diversity communities, violence in romantic relationships, bullying, and depression. You can explore some of these research findings using the following link: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kevin-Smith-21

I completed a bachelor’s degree in psychology at the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi in 2017 and a scientific-professional doctorate at the Université du Québec à Montréal in 2022. During the final year of my doctorate, I worked at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, where I gained expertise in bipolar disorders. Over three years, I contributed as a student, psychologist, researcher, and coordinator at the bipolar disorders clinic. Additionally, I received training in process-oriented group psychotherapy and dialectical behavior therapy.

My theoretical approach is primarily psychodynamic and existential. In my work, I focus on recognizing unconscious motions that may lead us to repeat unsatisfying situations or cause problems. Our relational patterns, identity, and responses to existential challenges (freedom, solitude, death, and life’s meaning) can arise from our socio-cultural context. Also, they may stem from adaptations that once helped us overcome past challenges but persist even when those challenges are absent, sometimes causing difficulties. Regardless, my approach aims to enhance mentalization (conscious awareness) of unconscious movements guiding our emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. Developing a critical mindset allows us to choose whether to continue these patterns or transform their motion into something else. The therapeutic relationship lies at the heart of my work and serves as a “laboratory” to understand what occurs between us and observe whether similar dynamics play out in other relationships.

I have availabilities from Monday to Friday, between 10AM and 5PM. Appointments can take place in-person or on Zoom. For in-person meetings, my office is located on 1030 Cherrier Street, Suite 314, Montreal.

You can easily book an appointment online. You only have to click on the "Book an appointment" section of the website, which will lead you to my next availabilities. You can then choose a time and date that suits you best. You can also contact me by phone (voice or text) at the 438-366-6630.

Fees are of 160$ for 50 minutes sessions.

I have a cancellation policy requiring you to tell me more than 24h before the time of our appointment if you wish to cancel. In which case, there are no cancellation fees. However, if I'm told less than 24h before the appointment, the cancellation fees are equivalent to the session's fees.

What to Expect During Your First Appointment

A first meeting with a psychologist, whether it is your very first experience in therapy or your first meeting with a new professional, can sometimes bring a certain amount of anticipation or anxiety. After all, it is an unfamiliar experience. We often wonder what to expect, while also imagining what the therapist might expect from us.

The goal of this section is to provide a clear picture of what a first appointment with me typically looks like.

Once I receive your online appointment request, I will send you clear directions by email to help you find my office. I will also attach an information and consent form containing questions that allow me to identify you and contact you if necessary. The form also outlines important information to help you make a free and informed decision about whether you wish to begin psychological services with me. This gives you the opportunity to review these details before we meet.

We will discuss the form together at the beginning of our appointment to ensure that you are comfortable with the terms of our professional agreement and to answer any questions you may have. In fact, this will be the very first thing we do. After introducing myself and welcoming you from the waiting room at the time of our appointment, I will invite you to complete the information and consent form, and we will have this discussion together.

The first appointment is generally semi-structured. This means that there are certain core questions that form part of my initial assessment, but I also believe it is important to allow the conversation to unfold naturally, at your own pace and on your own terms. This helps me not only understand your concerns, but also observe how you relate to others.

On the more structured side, I will seek to understand the reason for your consultation, your expectations for therapy, and the ways in which you invest yourself across different areas of life, such as intimate relationships, work, family, friendships, leisure activities, and your overall functioning.

On the less structured side, I will be paying attention to what it feels like to be in relationship with you. For example, you may tend to wait for me to speak before speaking yourself, which might lead us to explore themes related to self-assertion or power dynamics. Conversely, you may naturally take up more space in the conversation and leave me little room to contribute, which might lead us to explore experiences related to feeling misunderstood, loneliness, or control. These are only examples, but they illustrate the principle of transference. We tend to relate to our therapist in ways that resemble how we relate to others in our lives. As a result, the therapeutic relationship becomes an especially rich source of information for assessment and understanding.

Part of the first appointment involves determining whether I am the right person to help you achieve your therapeutic goals. I will also offer you an initial understanding of your situation. By integrating information gathered through both structured and less structured methods, I will propose a direction for treatment that is consistent with my theoretical approach.

At that point, as at any point in therapy, you are entirely free to decide that this approach is not what you are looking for. If that is the case, our work together can end without any difficulty. If the proposed direction feels right to you, we will continue building and refining our understanding of your situation over time. With each meeting, we will develop a clearer and more nuanced picture of the patterns shaping your experience, allowing us to identify increasingly precise avenues for self-understanding and change.

The goal is to bring greater awareness to repetitive and often unconscious processes that may be contributing to suffering or limiting your freedom. By understanding their origins and functions, you gain the ability to choose whether or not to continue repeating them, while taking ownership of the aspects that are within your control.

Appointments typically take place on a weekly or biweekly basis.

The duration of therapy varies considerably from person to person. In most cases, treatment is open-ended, meaning that no predetermined end date is established in advance. However, time-limited therapy can also be arranged, for example when a maximum number of sessions is covered by an insurance plan.