Expertise
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Traumatic Stress
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Couples Therapy
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Family Therapy
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Substance Use
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Addiction & Recovery
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Men's Issues
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Anxiety & Depression
Modalities Used
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Internal Family Systems (IFS)
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Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
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Attachment-based Family Therapy (ABFT)
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EMDR
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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Education
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MS — University of Alabama
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Master of Science in Marriage & Family Therapy/Counseling
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PhD — Texas Tech University
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Doctor of Philosophy in Marriage & Family Therapy/Counseling
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Dr. Jesse Smith, LMFT-AS
HE/HIM
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Pennsylvania
AAMFT Approved Supervisor
I’m Dr. Jesse Smith, a licensed marriage and family therapist, AAMFT Approved Supervisor, and the founder and clinical director of Waterloo Therapy Group in Philadelphia. My work spans clinical practice, supervision, teaching, and research, with particular interests in trauma, addiction and recovery, and the relationships we build with ourselves and others.
I earned my master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from the University of Alabama and my PhD in marriage and family therapy from Texas Tech University. My training as a systemic therapist continues to shape how I understand people: within the context of their relationships, families, communities, and lived experiences. Alongside my clinical work, I have served as adjunct faculty at Drexel University, teaching courses in addiction, family therapy, and clinical practice. My published research has explored recovery, family relationships, and the integration of Internal Family Systems therapy with 12-Step facilitation.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is central to my clinical approach. I appreciate the way it invites curiosity toward the parts of ourselves that can otherwise feel frustrating, confusing, or difficult to accept. Whether those parts show up through self-criticism, anxiety, withdrawal, or substance use, I approach them with an interest in understanding how they developed and what they are trying to protect. My work emphasizes self-compassion, greater internal trust, and the possibility of responding to life with more choice. I also draw on EMDR, attachment-focused approaches, mindfulness, and somatic practices, integrating these according to each client’s needs.
My personal experience in long-term recovery has deeply influenced my professional life. It helped shape my decision to become a therapist and continues to inform my respect for the vulnerability, persistence, and connection involved in change. Although participation in a 12-Step program has been meaningful in my own recovery, I support multiple pathways and believe that treatment should reflect each person’s goals, values, and circumstances.
I founded the practice that became Waterloo Therapy Group in 2021. As it has grown, my role has expanded to include developing our clinical team, supervising emerging therapists, and shaping a practice grounded in integrity, compassion, joy, and service. I value creating opportunities for clinicians to develop their own therapeutic voices while offering thoughtful, accessible care to our community.
Supervision and teaching are especially meaningful parts of my work. I see both as collaborative, experiential processes that bring clinical theory into conversation with what actually happens in the therapy room. I aim to help developing therapists strengthen their judgment, deepen their awareness of themselves, and build confidence in their relationships with clients.
Outside of work, I enjoy traveling, cycling, hiking, practicing yoga, and settling into a good book.
Offering Virtual Sessions
Back to Team
Teaching
I believe that experiential learning is the key to engaging students in the learning process. We learn with others by doing things that we have not done before. In my role as an adjunct faculty member at Drexel University, I am passionate about teaching and supervising aspiring clinicians, ensuring they acquire effective and empathetic treatment styles through collaborative work.
Spring 2022 & Winter 2023, Online
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This doctoral-level course will provide an in-depth exploration of the effects and consequences of addiction across multiple systems including family, community, and society. Its purpose in the program of study is to support the application and advancement of family therapy theory and practice in the prevention, treatment and recovery support for families impacted by substance use and addiction.
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Developed course from scratch during winter 2022 as part of a fully online curriculum.
Winter 2022, Online
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The purpose of this master’s level course is to introduce the student to major family therapy theories and their relationship to general systems theory and cybernetics.
Research
Guided by my lived experience and the direction that has given me, my research centers on issues of addiction and recovery. In particular, I’m engaged in a long-term project of filling in a gap in the current literature by using more empirical, or evidence-based methods, particularly as pertains to the ongoing opioid epidemic, as well as long-term recovery outcomes and the role of the family with respect to the recovery process.
Within this broad endeavor, I am especially focused on the experiences of individuals within minority and underserved communities in dealing with addiction and recovery. I aim to reach those who have traditionally been left behind and secure a fuller understanding of their experience. The larger goal is to help as many people as possible.