Emil Smith

Emil K. Smith, MSW, LCSW, is a doctoral student in the School of Social Work. Their work to support access to mental health care for LGBTQ youth in Minneapolis, MN led them to pursue an MSW at Smith College School for Social Work. After graduation, they worked as a behavioral health consultant in Springfield, MA and Philadelphia, PA, where they developed expertise in mental health crisis and substance use assessments. They went on to start an LGBTQ+ specific mental health intensive outpatient program, as there was a critical gap in services for this population. They have also worked as an outpatient therapist in private practice.

Their research interests include developing a deeper understanding of eating disorders and unsafe weight control behaviors in trans and gender diverse populations, anti-carceral approaches to reducing violence against marginalized groups, and trauma-informed, client centered approaches to mental health crisis assessment and intervention. Their work is informed by their passion for relational psychoanalytic theory, their experience as mental health clinician, and their prior work as a political organizer.