Nicole Smith

I am a queer, trauma-informed psychiatrist dedicated to providing compassionate, affirming care to adults 18+ in the LGBTQ+ community. As someone who has personally experienced the discomfort of providers making assumptions about my identity, I know how important it is to create a space where my patients feel seen, respected, and safe. I don’t make assumptions about gender, sexuality, relationships, or identity, and I meet my patients wherever they are in their journey—whether they are questioning, exploring, or firmly established in who they are. My patients have shared that they appreciate my nonjudgmental approach and my ability to provide support without forcing labels or asking intrusive, irrelevant questions. I am also engaged in LGBTQ+ advocacy. I have worked with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) on initiatives addressing bisexual health disparities and have given a community talk on the intersection of disabilities and LGBTQ+ identity. My goal is to ensure that queer individuals, especially those with complex or marginalized identities, receive the informed, affirming care they deserve. In my practice, I take a holistic approach to mental health, recognizing the deep connection between the brain and the rest of the body. This means discussing not only psychiatric symptoms but also social stressors, medical conditions, and lifestyle factors like nutrition and healing movement when relevant. I have collaborated with many of my patients to help them find queer-affirming therapists and other providers. I strive to provide care that is body-positive, sex-positive, and poly-informed, ensuring that discussions around relationships, sexuality, and identity are met with respect, understanding, and affirmation. My clinical interests include PTSD, OCD, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, psychosis, and complex medical comorbidities. I integrate basic therapy techniques into my work and, when needed, collaborate with therapists and other providers to ensure my patients receive comprehensive care. I also offer flexible scheduling, including more frequent or longer sessions for those who need them. I completed my undergraduate studies in Biology at the University of South Carolina Honors College and earned my medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. I then completed my Adult Psychiatry Residency at Dartmouth in Lebanon, NH, followed by a fellowship in Clinical and Translational Research at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), where I studied the interplay between brain biology and behavior.