Dr. D. Maria Bivins-Smith is a licensed Psychologist with a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology. She completed her coursework in the Clinical Psychology Doctoral program at Argosy University, Georgia School of Professional Psychology. She earned a Masters of Arts in Education (emphasis in adult education) from San Francisco State University. She specializes in working with adults experiencing anxiety and depression as well as mental health concerns related to trauma and medical/health conditions. She has gained over seven years of clinical experience working at mental health clinics which included working at the Stoney Brook Counseling Center in Massachusetts and the VA in Atlanta in the Health Psychology Department. During this time, Dr. Bivins-Smith gained extensive experience working with mental health issues related to trauma, physical illness and pain. She also co-facilitated smoking cessation and pain management psychoeducational groups.

Dr. Bivins-Smith’s responsibilities in management and consulting span over 20 years and have afforded her with extensive experience in management dealing with the actual day to day workings of corporate environments. Utilizing her experience, Dr. Bivins-Smith initiated a private consulting company conducting executive coaching, interdisciplinary team facilitation, group dynamics, stand-up training, and training development. As an organizational development consultant her work has included conducting enterprise system change initiatives as well as assessing individual and organizational needs. She has developed programs and trained over 1500 individuals in skills such as conflict management, team building, customer service, and information systems applications within private, government, and healthcare settings.

Her management and change consulting engagements have included working with McDonnell Douglas, Chiquita Brands, Prudential, Accenture, Kaiser Permanente, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Duke University Healthcare, State of California Department of Education, County of Riverside California, and California Prison Industries among many others.

In addition to her business and scholarly endeavors, Dr. Bivins-Smith has held numerous committee, chairperson, and Board of Director positions in non-profit, volunteer organizations. She is a past president of the Mt. Diablo chapter of the American Society of Training and Development. Currently, she serves as the Clinical Director of Atlanta’s “A Home Within,” a non-profit organization matching foster care children with volunteer therapists. She has also taught at San Francisco and Hayward State Universities.

Mission

Our mission is to make obtaining mental health care as natural as seeing a physician for the flu as well as provide effective and affordable mental health resources. Wellsmith Life uses evidenced-based mental wellness interventions and education to help people improve their relationships and functioning at home and in their work lives through in-person and web-based offerings. With Dr. Maria providing guidance, Wellsmith Life offers change strategies and interventions to manage and alleviate psychological distress and improve mental wellness.