Meet Our Staff
Renée Smucker, Ph.D.
Renée is the founder of the Maryland Parent Child Clinic (MPCC), LLC and a licensed psychologist in Maryland and New York. Prior to founding MPCC in 2020, she was a postdoctoral fellow at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, MD from 2018 to 2020 where she worked with children aged 2 to 12 in the Behavior Management Clinic, providing outpatient therapeutic services to children and their families. Renée graduated with a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Hofstra University in Long Island, NY in 2018, focusing on therapies for children and adolescents. She has worked with children and families in various outpatient clinics, an inpatient unit, and a residential treatment facility during her career. Renée has been providing Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) since 2013 and is a certified PCIT therapist and PCIT Within Agency Trainer. She specializes in complex behavior and anxiety problems, Selective Mutism, toileting difficulties and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Renée was recently trained in inference-based CBT for OCD. She is currently accepting select clients for her waitlist.
Dr. Avanté Smack is a licensed clinical psychologist in Washington DC, Maryland, and the Commonwealth of Virginia. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at the George Washington University School of Medicine and works part-time at Children’s National Hospital in integrated primary care. She is also the founder of an adult focused private practice, Courageous Counseling & Consulting, LLC. Avanté graduated with her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois in 2018. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in 2019 where she worked with children aged 2-12 in the Behavior Management Clinic, providing outpatient therapy services to children and their families. Avanté has a range of expertise that spans from early childhood throughout adulthood. She has worked with clients in a wide variety of settings including outpatient mental health clinics, substance abuse treatment facilities, hospital settings (impatient and outpatient) and private practices. Dr. Smack specializes in the treatment of anxiety, depression, ADHD, and behavior parent training.
Avanté works part time at MPCC. She serves as a clinical supervisor and is receiving PCIT training. Avante is unable to take on clients in her role at this time.
Avanté Smack, Ph.D.
Sydney graduated with her Master’s in Social Work with a clinical concentration from the University of Maryland Baltimore. As a dedicated therapist, Sydney’s goal is to come alongside families to help them make positive steps toward healing and growth. She provides a hopeful, collaborative approach to therapy based on your family’s personal goals, needs, and strengths.
Sydney incorporates cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, provides useful coping skills, and reflects on attachment patterns. However, she is sure to cater sessions based on the individuals’ needs and what they hope to gain from therapy. She has received specialty training in Grief Recovery, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and Parent-Child Interaction therapy (PCIT). Though her past experience includes providing individual mental health services in an outpatient setting to individuals at a range of life stages, she is particularly passionate about working with children, adolescents, and young adults. She is under supervision by an LCSW-C until she receives her independent license later this year. Sydney is officially PCIT-certified! She also recently completed the official training for Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE).
Working with Sydney, you can expect a safe, nonjudgmental environment full of empathy and warmth. Sydney is currently full and accepting clients for her waitlist at this time.
​
Kasie Boehm, LMSW
Sydney Ramsing, LMSW
Kasie completed the Clinical Social Work Master’s program at Saint Leo University. Kasie takes a strengths-based approach to therapy. She particularly enjoys working with clients in adolescence through adulthood. Kasie listens, provides support, and helps them work toward their goals.
​
Kasie utilizes cognitive-behavioral therapy and solution-focused therapy to guide sessions. She is passionate about working together with clients to help them gain effective skills that facilitate growth and change in their own lives. Kasie recently completed her training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and is currently receiving supervision in this modality to become certified. She has immediate daytime openings for EMDR clients.
​
Prior to completion of her masters’ degree, Kasie had 10 years of experience working with children, families, and adults in outpatient and inpatient settings. She is also proficient in Spanish from her time in the Peace Corps in Ecuador. Since joining MPCC, Kasie has received training in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), behavioral parent training, and exposure therapy. She has experience treating depression, anxiety, emotional dysregulation, and behavioral concerns. She is under supervision by a social work supervisor until she receives her LCSW-C. Kasie is officially PCIT-certified!
Kasie has a waitlist for most clients but immediate daytime openings for clients seeking EMDR.
​
​
​
​
​
Becca Hammonds, Ph.D.
Becca is a registered psychological associate and former teacher who has over 10 years of experience working with children ages 2-18 and their families. Becca completed her graduate studies at the University of Texas in Austin, in a School Psychology program that integrated aspects of clinical psychology, health psychology, and pediatric psychology. She has experience providing therapy, assessment, and consultation services in outpatient clinics, a residential inpatient facility, primary care clinics, medical specialty clinics, and private practice settings.
Becca supports youth through life transitions, anxiety, depression, and behavioral disorders by collaborating with families on treatment goals using a variety of cognitive behavioral, strengths-based, mindfulness, and motivational approaches. This includes specialized training in ERP and I-CBT for OCD. Becca has been certified in Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) since 2018. She has additional training and experience working with individuals with OCD, Selective Mutism, sleep difficulties, those coping with their own or a family member's chronic or terminal illness, and those with a focus on making health behavior changes. Becca also uses family therapy when appropriate. She is currently working under the supervision of Dr. Renée Smucker while pursuing full licensure as a psychologist.
​
Becca is currently full and accepting clients for her waitlist at this time.
​
​
​
Erin Murphy, LGPC
Erin graduated with her Master’s in Clinical Psychology from Towson University. Her goal is to work collaboratively with clients and families to ensure treatment goals are met. Erin is particularly passionate about working with younger children and adolescents. She focuses on skill building and fostering growth.
Erin integrates cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques and emotion tolerance skills in sessions. She creates a hopeful and accepting environment for all individuals who come to see her.
Prior to joining MPCC, Erin used applied behavioral analysis and parent training skills with children and adolescents on the autism spectrum. She also received training in treating adolescents and adults with eating disorders at both a residential and outpatient level of care. She has experience using different treatment models such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), CBT, and The Unified Protocol. Erin aspires to work with young children and adolescents with behavioral concerns as well as emotion dysregulation. She is working under the supervision of Dr. Smucker and an outside LCPC supervisor. Erin has received training in PCIT and is working toward certification under the supervision of Dr. Smucker.
Erin is currently full and accepting clients for her waitlist at this time.
​
