Dr. Brentia Caldwell-Smith
Ph.D., LPC, NCC, ACS, CPCS
Owner, Director, Licensed Professional Counselor,
Counselor Supervisor
As “self-care is the best care” being her life’s mantra, Dr. Brentia Caldwell-Smith or “Dr. Tia”, as many call her, founded The Up Center as a means to provide effective and meaningful mental health services to individuals. The founding of The Up Center was in the efforts of assisting individuals with life healing on their own terms while simultaneously empowering them to prioritize and maximize their mental wellness.
With over 15 years of clinical counseling experience, Brentia is a Certified School Counselor, Licensed Professional Counselor, Approved Clinical Supervisor, and Certified Professional Counselor Supervisor. She is also a Certified Medical Cannabis Professional and an Immigration Evaluator.
Dr. Caldwell-Smith utilizes a thoughtfully challenging and integrative therapeutic approach to assist individuals who are experiencing life challenges and transitions, depression, anxiety, and grief (specifically disenfranchised grief). Brentia has therapeutic specialties in chronic illness navigation, women’s issues, stress management, loneliness, singlehood/dating, and relational skill building (e.g. boundary setting, assertiveness training, social skill development, unpacking people-pleasing behaviors, etc.).
Brentia provides both individual and group counseling services for adults as well as conducts immigration evaluations.
Brentia’s primary professional focus is Counselor Education and Support which includes her role as a Clinical and Licensure Supervisor for emerging clinicians, a
Clinical and Mental Health Business Consultant, and an Adjunct Professor for Mercer University-Atlanta and Agnes Scott College. She provides licensure supervision for mental health clinicians seeking independent counseling licensure in the state of Georgia. Brentia particularly specializes in assisting School Counselors with achieving independent licensure status as well as supports emerging clinicians who desire to facilitate therapeutic work with individuals who are navigating chronic illness conditions.
Brentia holds both a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish and Master’s Degree in Counselor Education from Georgia Southern University. Additionally, she possesses an Educational Specialist Degree in Professional Counseling & Supervision from the University of West Georgia. Brentia also earned her Ph.D. in Counselor Education & Supervision at Mercer University where her research focus centered around the exploration of life satisfaction and mental wellness of unmarried, childless, professional, middle-aged Black women.
Brentia is a member of the American Counseling Association, Licensed Professional Counselors Association of Georgia, American School Counselor Association, and Colorado Counseling Association.