Bariatric Center Georgetown Community Hospital

Behavioral Health Services at Georgetown Bariatrics

We know that our patients enjoy their weight loss, better health & dramatic quality of life improvements after surgery.  We also understand that even positive change may require some life adjustment.  Some patients may experience relationship challenges, body image issues or even a fear of returning to old, unhealthy eating habits.  Chronic depression and anxiety are common pre-surgical problems, and unfortunately, surgery itself does not automatically remove these symptoms.

Although we encourage all patients to attend our popular Goal Getters Support Group meetings, some people find they need more specialized care than a support group is intended to provide.  Individual or group counseling with an experienced psychotherapist sensitive to the special needs of weight loss surgery patients can be extremely helpful in these situations.  As part of our strong committment to the long term support and success of our patients, we are pleased to provide indiviudal and group psychotherapy services onsite with our own well known expert, Lisa West-Smith, PhD, LCSW.  Please explore this page for more information. 

Individual Counseling- For Georgetown Bariatrics patients, there is no charge for up to three individual counseling sessions in the first year after surgery, and longer term psychotherapy is available at a reduced fee.  Dr. West-Smith is also accepting new patients from the weight loss surgery community who are struggling with concerns about return to old eating habits, body image, binge eating, bulimia, self esteem, emotional regulation and other mental health issues related to weight management and/or weight loss surgery adjustment.      

Group Counseling- Our "Healthy New You" cognitive & dialectical behavioral therapy skills training group is currently forming and will also be lead by Dr. West-Smith.  This group will meet on Thursday evenings from 5-6:30 PM and will meet right in the Bariatric Center, beginning January 14, 2010.  Pre-registration is needed for this group.  Please call the office at 502.570.3717 for more information.  Twelve sessions of this special group series are available at no charge to all Georgetown Bariatrics patients.    

For appointment or other information, please call 502.570.3717. 



Lisa West-Smith, PhD, LCSW
Director of Bariatric Behavioral Health Services
Georgetown Community Hospital
Contact:  Lisa.West-Smith@lpnt.net

Lisa West-Smith, PhD, LCSW brings nearly twenty years of clinical practice, teaching and research experience to the Georgetown Bariatrics team.  She takes a comprehensive and caring approach with our patients, providing pre-surgical psychosocial evaluations, treatment planning, patient education and post-surgical psychotherapy services designed to help individuals obtain best possible results from their surgical weight loss tool.   Dr. West-Smith’s training includes a BA in Psychology from Northern Kentucky University, an MSW from the University of Kentucky, and a PhD in Clinical Social Work & Women’s Studies from the Union Institute and University.  She is licensed at the highest level for the independent practice of psychotherapy as a clinical social worker in both Ohio and Kentucky. 

Dr. West-Smith’s career has been specialized in the field of weight management, body image and eating disorders.  In addition to her psychotherapy practice, Dr. West-Smith has a strong interdisciplinary teaching and research background.  She has served as field practicum instructor for the University of Cincinnati and the University of Kentucky; and on faculty for Indiana University East and the University of Cincinnati where she developed and taught special topics psychology courses on women and eating disorders.   Dr. West-Smith is a member of The Obesity Society; Academy of Eating Disorders; National Association of Social Workers; American Psychological Association; and the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). 

In addition to her work at Georgetown Bariatrics, Dr. West-Smith is active in the national bariatric surgery community.  She serves on the ASMBS Integrated Health Sciences Clinical Issues and Guidelines Committee.  She is also a consultant to Ethicon Endosurgery, authoring Realize mySuccess website content and providing training for surgical practices across the US. 


Selected Publications & Recent Presentations

     

     West-Smith, L.  (November, 2009).  Optimizing long term surgical weight loss: Keys to success.  Symposium conducted for the Tennessee Chapter Conference of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, Annual Conference.   Nashville, TN.  

     Sogg, S. & West-Smith, L.  (June, 2009).  Creating a credential for bariatric behavioral health professionals: Potential benefits, pitfalls and provider opinion.  Symposium conducted for American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, Annual Meeting, Grapevine, TX.      

     West-Smith, L.  (June, 2009).  Practical utilization of a brief screening tool to assess, triage and treat preoperative eating behavior in bariatric surgery patients.  Symposium conducted for American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, Annual Meeting, Grapevine, TX. 

     Guerdjikova, A., West-Smith, L., MeElroy, S.,  Sonnanstine, T., Stanford, K.,  Keck, PE Jr.  (2007).  Emotional eating and emotional eating alternatives in subjects undergoing bariatric surgery.  Obesity Surgery, (17)8, 1091-1096.

     West-Smith, L.  (2001).  Body stories: Research findings & intimate narratives on women improving body image in outdoor adventure.  Edgewood, KY:  adventurehaven press.