Laura Smestad

College of Social and Behavioral Health
School of Counseling
M.S. Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Dr. Laura Smestad is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in the state of Washington, a National Certified Counselor, and a National Certified School Counselor. Dr. Smestad has been practicing as a mental health therapist since 2014, and she has teaching in higher education since 2020. She is currently an associate professor in the clinical mental health counseling program at Walden University. Dr. Smestad is the owner of Informed OCD Counseling, a practice based in Seattle, Washington that specializes in providing evidence-based treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and OC-related disorders. Prior to her work as an OCD specialist, Dr. Smestad worked as a professional school counselor, and she was named Elementary School Counselor of the Year for the state of Louisiana in 2019. Her primary areas of interest include OCD, counselor education, disparities in treatment, and school counseling.

Courses Taught

COUN 6720 - Diagnosis and Assessment

COUN 6250 - Group Process and Dynamics

COUN 6722 - Theories of Counseling

Education

PhD, Antioch University Seattle

MA, University of Holy Cross

BA, Louisiana State University

Public Service

Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, Chair -

Wisconsin Counseling Association Editorial Board, Board Member -

Awards / Honors

Emerging Leader, Western Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, 2021

Elementary School Counselor of the Year, Louisiana School Counselor Association, 2019

Publications

Smestad, L., Kostek, J. (2025). Student perceptions of how obsessive-compulsive disorder is taught in graduate counseling programs. Journal of Counselor Practice

Smestad, L., Brandt, A. (2024). No-self, no problem: A Buddhist approach to self-concept obsessive compulsive disorder. Journal of Faith Integration Counseling

Presentations

Smestad, L. (2023). How to Create a Collaborative Classroom in a Trauma-Informed Way..

Smestad, L. (2023). Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Across Cultures.

Smestad, L. (2023). Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Social Justice Advocacy.