Enough to start.
You're here because something is asking to be looked at. Maybe you know what it is. Maybe you don't. Maybe the only thing you know is that you’ve been carrying too much for too long, and you can feel the cost of that adding up.
You don't have to know what comes next.
Trace · verb to find or discover by investigation
I’m Pamela Smith, founder of Trace Counseling & Wellness and a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor.
Before becoming a therapist, my professional life moved through both art and analysis. I began in the design world, where I learned to notice patterns, details, and what is often just beneath the surface. Later, my work at a Fortune 500 company shaped my perspective on systems, structure, responsibility, and the pressures people carry inside complex environments. Those ways of seeing continue to shape how I practice therapy today.
I pay attention not only to what someone is feeling, but also to the larger patterns, relationships, responsibilities, and environments that may be shaping their life. My role is not to rush people toward insight or offer easy answers. It is to create a thoughtful, steady space where clients can slow down, understand what has been happening beneath the surface, and begin reconnecting with their own voice, judgment, and sense of self.
I believe good therapy is both human and rigorous. It requires emotional attunement, clinical skill, honesty, and respect for the complexity of a person’s life.
This is the work I was always meant to do.
Pam has supported me through multiple major life transitions including several job changes, the births of both of my children, and evolving family dynamics, and has helped me navigate through all the challenges and triggers that come with those. Undoubtedly, my perspective on my life and my own mental health has changed for the better as a direct result of our work together!
— Former Client
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor
National Certified Counselor
EMDR Trained
(Licensed in Illinois, Florida Telehealth Provider)
Additional Training in:
Internal Family Systems
Polyvagal Theory
TF-CBT
Gottman Couples Therapy
Prepare Enrich
