About Briana
Briana created Be Seen Therapy as a place for people to feel listened to, heard, validated, and seen.
Briana has dedicated her professional life to helping at-risk groups receive the mental health services they need to live happy, productive lives, including troubled youths, survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, and individuals with anger management issues.
Her journey in the mental health field began at YMCA OZ, where, as a Resident Supervisor, her passion for working in residential treatment developed through her work in crisis management, planning transitions in life, and promoting self-advocacy. These skills served her well as she went on to provide in-school mental health services and crisis interventions to high school students, implement treatment plans for foster youth in transitional housing programs, and facilitate therapy groups for middle school girls at the Counseling Partners of Los Angeles, Olive Crest, and Save Our Youth organizations, respectively.
Briana also has experience working with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, both teens and adults, through the Coalition for Family Harmony, where she co-facilitated support groups, advocated for clients’ needs and collaborated with law enforcement and child protective services.
Prior to licensure, Briana was the Assistant Clinical Director at Reconnect Integrative Trauma Treatment Center. She began working at Reconnect in the residential program as the Lead Resident Advisor, where she managed a team of 15 Resident Advisors, and supported them with scheduling and their own therapeutic process and training. Briana moved up to Assistant Clinical Director at Outpatient, where she assisted the clinical director by managing crises, supporting clients and clinicians in between sessions and co-facilitating groups.
Once licensed, Briana began working for La Ventana Treatment Center in the mental health department. Here she provided services to traumatized individuals through individual and group therapy. Due to the pandemic, Briana learned how to conduct therapy online and got creative by using online tools like games (Uno and Drawful, etc.) as well as expanding her EMDR skills to conform to the online platform.
Right before transitioning to full-time private practice, Briana worked for Lido Wellness Center. Again here, she enhanced her skills working with substance use, trauma, anger empowerment and a wide variety of other topics.
Briana served as a professor at Pepperdine University's Graduate School of Education and Psychology. where she enjoyed supervising students in the school setting as well as working with clients who are therapists. Briana expanded her practice to include Associate Therapists. This is one area where Briana finds passion and feels she can give back to her therapeutic community. She teaches aspiring therapists foundational tools and skills in becoming an effective and strong clinician.
Briana utilizes a trauma-informed, client-centered approach to treatment. This is expressed during sessions in her ability to understand the difference between the words a client may express and what they really mean to help clients get to the core root of the problem. Simultaneously, she utilizes solution-focused therapy to aide her clients in reaching the next step of life.
Briana holds a B.A. in Therapeutic and Community Psychology and Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Point Loma Nazarene University, an M.A. in Clinical Psychology (with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy) from Pepperdine University and a M.A. in Education-School Counseling from Alliant International University.
Briana’s best fur friend Ruby loves to join sessions. To learn more about this pawsome pup, check out her page under "About Ruby".
Briana Lauren Smith
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist - CA #117210
Exp 1/31/2026
