Dr. Ashley Smith began studying and treating anxiety disorders in graduate school. She earned a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2007. As part of that training process, she completed an APA-approved predoctoral internship at Children's Mercy Hospital and Clinics before joining the staff at Omaha Children's Hospital to help develop their dedicated anxiety services.

In 2009, Dr. Smith relocated to Kansas City to serve as a senior staff psychologist at the Kansas City Center for Anxiety Treatment before starting a private practice in 2017. In addition to direct clinical work, Dr. Smith is actively involved in other scholarly activities. She has been an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and has provided supervision, trainings, and consultation for students and other professionals. Dr. Smith has several publications and maintains active involvement in professional organizations like the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Dr. Smith regularly presents workshops and trainings on local and national levels and has been involved in planning and producing local and national conferences. Dr. Smith is co-founder of Peak Mind: The Center for Psychological Strength.