Professional Trainings and Conference Presentations in Early Childhood Mental Health iN NJ + Beyond
I offer professional trainings, workshops, and presentations for clinicians, educators, agencies, and organizations seeking to deepen their understanding of infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH), trauma-informed practice, diversity-informed practice, and developmentally grounded approaches to supporting children and families.
Early Childhood Mental Health Trainings & PRESENTATIONS for Professionals
My trainings blend practical tools, clinical expertise, research-based content, and real-world application so participants leave feeling informed, confident, and equipped to implement what they learn.
I PROVIDE WORKSHOPS FOR
Mental health clinicians
School psychologists and counselors
Early intervention providers
Home visitors and parent–infant programs
Pediatric teams and medical providers
Community and nonprofit organizations
Childcare and early education centers
Multidisciplinary treatment teams
Professional presentations and
trainings can be provided
in-person or virtually
PRESENTATION & TRAINING TOPICS
I have presented at national, state, and local conferences on a wide range of IECMH topics. If your organization needs a customized topic, I am happy to collaborate and create a tailored training for your team.
Trainings can be structured as 60–90 minute presentations, half-day workshops, full-day professional development sessions, multi-session training series, program-specific consultative trainings, and virtual webinars or in-person events.
Please book a consultation for pricing.
Mindfulness With Families
Supporting co-regulation, emotional attunement, and connection through accessible, developmentally appropriate mindfulness practices.
Sexual Development in Young Children
Normalizing and guiding families through healthy sexual development, boundaries, safety, and communication.
Diversity, Identity, and Cultural Humility in Clinical Practice
Providing training and support on how to lean into conversations and reflections surrounding diversity, identity, and cultural humility in clinical practice.
Toileting Challenges in Early Childhood
Understanding toileting struggles through a developmental, relational, and behavioral lens and offering effective, child-sensitive strategies.
Feeding and Eating Concerns in Young Children
Developmentally informed, trauma-sensitive approaches to feeding issues, picky eating, and caregiver stress around mealtimes.
Attachment, Trauma, and Relational Healing
How trauma and stress impact early development, behavior, and family systems, and how to intervene effectively.
Behavior, Emotional Regulation, and Development
Understanding early childhood behaviors through a neuroscience and relational lens and offering evidence-based strategies.
Developmental Differences in Early Childhood
Supporting early identification, understanding developmental profiles, and considering culture, trauma, and context in assessment.
DC:0–5 Training (Coming Soon)
I am a DC:0–5 trainer completing the requirements for certification.
DC:0–5 is an internationally recognized framework used to assess and diagnose mental health and developmental disorders in infants and young children.
I will soon be offering DC:0–5 trainings for:
Clinicians
Early intervention programs
School and community mental health teams
Agencies serving children birth to five
If you are interested in
receiving this training
or want to be added to the waitlist,
please contact me.
Meet Your EXPERT INFANT AND EARLY CHILDHOOD Psychologist
Hi, i’m SAMANTHA
Child Psychologist and Infant Mental health Specialist
I’m a licensed psychologist with specialized training in infant and early childhood mental health, trauma, attachment, and child assessment. For more than a decade, I’ve supported children ages 0–12 and their families in healing, growing, and building hopeful futures.
MY PRACTICE IS BUILT ON
Warm, relational care
Deep developmental expertise
Evidence-based treatments designed specifically for young children experiencing stress or neurodivergence
A culturally informed, trauma-responsive lens
PROFESSIONAL ENDORSEMENTS
“Dr. Smith is one of those rare people who is not only a highly skilled professional, but also a human being who lights up a room and spreads warmth and connection wherever she goes. She's part of a small group of mental health professionals who specialize in working with very young children and their families, fostering secure relationships and growth. She has a natural capacity to connect with her small clients and their adults. She has a way about herself that creates a sense of belonging, and she is a fierce advocate for including everyone! If I were looking for a therapist for my little one and myself, I would choose Dr. Sam!”
Dr. Ilse DeKoeyer
“Dr. Smith is a superb evaluator and diagnostician. She helps children and caregivers feel comfortable with the process and ensures the most accurate results by engaging everyone in a comprehensive and supportive evaluation. Professionals referring to her for diagnostic clarity are always impressed with the quality of the evaluation and her ability to answer the referral question and provide tailored recommendations.”
Jennifer Mitchell, PhD, IECMH-E®, PMH-C
“Samantha is a warm, grounded, and highly skilled therapist. She brings clinical insight, genuine care, and a steady presence to her work. Her approach fosters growth, trust, and meaningful change and her guidance consistently helps children thrive.“
Margie Chastain, LCSW
“While I was Sam's supervisee, I felt heard, validated, and respected as a burgeoning mental health professional. In moments of difficulty, Sam showed me and my clients genuine compassion, offering psychoeducation that gave me diverse tools to tackle situations in unforeseen ways. With humor and authenticity, Sam's love for humanity was apparent in all of our supervision sessions, and she is a mentor I will seek guidance from as I continue on my professional journey.”
Elizabeth Malley
“I have been privileged to work closely with Samantha Smith, Psy.D, IMH-E as a Board member of the Utah Association for Infant Mental Health, for the past several years. Sam is an inspiration, always leading with heart, empathy, conviction, and courage. She backs up her emotional accessibility with a strong intellect committed to optimizing the care of stressed young children and their overwhelmed families. She also brings her deep caring to the emotional support of her co-workers through reflective supervision.”
William Cosgrove, MD
“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Dr. Samantha Smith through the Utah Association for Infant Mental Health for several years and have seen firsthand the depth of her knowledge, care, and leadership. She is widely respected state-wide for her expertise in early childhood mental health, trauma-informed care, and supporting nurturing caregiving relationships. Dr. Smith brings a deep commitment to promoting equity and high-quality care for young children and their families.”
Alysse M. Loomis, PhD, LCSW
MY PROFESSIONAL MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
CHILD Therapy, Autism Evaluations, ADHD Testing, and Professional MENTAL HEALTH Services in montclair, New jersey
I provide specialized early childhood mental health services and assessments for infants, toddlers, and young children with in-person appointments available near Montclair, Glen Ridge, Ridgewood, Franklin Lakes, Wayne, and nearby New Jersey communities. Families outside these areas can access the same high-quality support through secure virtual services available throughout all of New Jersey and New York.
With advanced training in early childhood mental health, my services are designed specifically for young children and their caregivers. Whether your child is navigating big emotions, behavior challenges, developmental or sensory concerns, trauma, or you are seeking a comprehensive autism or ADHD assessment, I offer evidence-based, developmentally informed care tailored to early childhood.
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Child and Family Therapist for Emotional, Behavioral, and Developmental Needs in-person near Montclair, New Jersey + Surrounding Areas and virtually throughout New Jersey and New York.
Supporting children ages 0–12 years old through evidence-based treatments designed to strengthen emotional regulation, behavior, and the caregiver–child relationship.
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Gold-Standard Autism Evaluations for Children Ages 0–12 in New Jersey
Culturally informed, compassionate, and developmentally grounded autism evaluations using gold-standard tools, including the ADOS. Assessments include a thoughtful differential diagnosis process to help determine whether autism is present, rule out or clarify other contributing diagnoses, and provide a clear, accurate understanding of your child’s strengths and needs.
LEARN MORE ABOUT AUTISM ASSESSMENTS IN NORTH JERSEY -
Evaluations include a thorough differential diagnosis process to distinguish ADHD from other developmental, emotional, or behavioral conditions and to ensure families receive clear, accurate guidance and next steps.
Evidence-based ADHD evaluations that go deeper than checklists to understand your child’s strengths, challenges, and needs utilizing IQ, neuropsychological, and research-informed measures to evaluate. -
One of my favorite roles as a psychologist is being a reflective supervisor/ consultant to those doing the important work in helping others. In our work, it is important to take the time to reflect on the thoughts, feelings, and biases we are experiencing. This process is important not only to make sure we are providing the best services possible for children and families, but also to make sure we stay happy and healthy in our work to prevent burnout. I have experience supervising individuals of all training levels, professions, and backgrounds.
LEARN MORE ABOUT REFLECTIVE CONSULTATION, CASE CONSULTATION, AND CLINICAL SUPERVISION -
Professional Mental Health workshops, presentations, and trainings for agencies, schools, and organizations on early childhood mental health, trauma, diversity, development, and more.
Available virtually or in-person.
LEARN MORE ABOUT PROFESSIONAL MENTAL HEALTH PRESENTATIONS & TRAININGS