Dr. Victoria Ranade, PhD, MBA, ABPP

Curriculum Vitae

Clinical practice & appointments

SUMMARY

I am a Johns Hopkins-trained, board-certified clinical psychologist and Founder of Hope+Wellness. I work with teens, adults, and high-achieving professionals, including executives, entrepreneurs, attorneys, and technology leaders. Many of the people I meet have built meaningful careers and accomplished extraordinary things, yet find themselves navigating anxiety, depression, stress, relationship challenges, or deeper questions of identity and meaning. As a clinical psychologist, I offer a space to explore not only the pressures of achievement, but the experience of being human beyond it. It's a place where you can safely show up exactly as you are, unburden yourself, and reconnect with that place within you where nothing is missing.


CLINICAL SPECIALTIES & EXPERTISE

• Depression, Anxiety, and Mood Disorders
• Teen and Young Adult Mental Health
• High-Achieving Professionals, Executives, and Entrepreneurs
• Burnout, Perfectionism, and Chronic Stress
• Leadership, Career Pressures, and Life Transitions
• Self-Worth, Identity, and Relationships
• Existential Depression, Meaning, and Spirituality
• Emotional Sensitivity and Creativity
• Mental Health and Spirituality
• Transpersonal Psychology and Psychedelic Science
• Business Psychology and Leadership

CLINICAL PRACTICE LOCATIONS & TELEHEALTH

Office Locations: Newport Beach, CA · Northern Virginia · Washington, DC

Telehealth: California, Virginia, Maryland, Washington, DC, New York, and participating PSYPACT states

EDUCATION

2026, Program for Leadership Development,
Harvard Business School

2024, Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Johns Hopkins Carey Business School (AACSB Accredited)
Concentrations: Health Care Management; Leadership

2016, Ph.D., Clinical Psychology,
University of Maryland, College Park (APA Accredited)

2016, Pre-Doctoral Clinical Psychology Internship in Behavioral Psychology,
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Kennedy Krieger Institute (APA Accredited)

2012, M.S., Clinical Psychology,
University of Maryland, College Park (APA Accredited)

2008, B.S., Biological Sciences,
University of California, Irvine (Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa)

CURRENT CLINICAL & LEADERSHIP APPOINTMENTS

Founder & Executive Director | Hope+Wellness
Falls Church, VA · McLean, VA · Washington, DC · Newport Beach, CA

Founded and lead Hope+Wellness, a multidisciplinary mental health practice recognized as a Best of Arlington A Top Vote Getter by Arlington Magazine. Our practice provides evidence-based psychotherapy, psychological assessment, and specialized mental health services for children, adolescents, and adults. Oversee clinical operations, strategic development, and organizational leadership while maintaining an active clinical practice.

BOARD CERTIFICATION

Behavioral & Cognitive Psychology, American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP)
ABPP board certification is a distinguished professional credential recognizing advanced competence in a specialty area of professional psychology, demonstrated through rigorous peer evaluation.

HONORS AND AWARDS

2026, Selected for Harvard Business School's Program for Leadership Development (PLD)

2026, Hope+Wellness, Best of Arlington A Top Vote Getter, Arlington Magazine

2025, Hope+Wellness, Best of Arlington A Top Vote Getter, Arlington Magazine

2022, Diversity Scholarship, California Institute of Integrative Studies

2018, Eva O. B. Wilson Memorial Scholarship, Johns Hopkins Carey School of Business

2018, Dean’s Scholarship, Johns Hopkins Carey School of Business

2018, NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), Director’s Award (Group Award) for work establishing the NINDS Biomarker program to advance neurotherapeutics

2018, NIH NINDS Director’s Award for work advancing the HEAL Initiative to help end addiction long term (Group Award)

2018, NIH NINDS Award for Outstanding Performance

2017, NIH NINDS Award for Outstanding Performance

2016-2017, Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) Policy Fellowship

2016, Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities, Kennedy Krieger Institute

2015, National Down Syndrome Congress Policy Fellowship

2014, APA Division 54: Society for Pediatric Psychology Student Paper Award

2014, University of Maryland Outstanding Graduate Student Achievement Award, Dept of Psychology

2014, University of Maryland Graduate All STAR Fellowship, First runner-up (Scholarship, Teaching, Administration, Research)

2014, Graduate Dean’s Dissertation Fellowship ($25,000)

2014, Ann G. Wylie Dissertation Fellowship ($10,000)

2014, Invited Speaker, Exemplary Student Research in Pediatric Psychology

2014, University of Maryland Merit Travel Award

2012, APA Div 12, Sec 3: Society for a Science of Clinical Psychology Student Poster Award

2012, 2013, Jacob K. Goldhaber Award

2004 –2008, Dean’s Honors, University of California, Irvine

2007, Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society, Early Induction

2004, President’s National Volunteer Service Award

MEDIA & PUBLIC SCHOLARSHIP

PODCAST & MEDIA PRODUCTION
2025–Present: Creator & Host, innercalling with Dr. Victoria, a podcast exploring the intersection of psychology, mental health, spirituality, science, and the human experience through conversations with leading thinkers, clinicians, scientists, authors, and spiritual teachers.

PRESS

Please note that my former name is Victoria Chialy Smith.

PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS

Please note that my former name is Victoria Chialy Smith.

  1. Merwin, S., Barrios, C.S., Smith, V.C., Lemay, E.P Jr, Dougherty, L.R. (2018). Outcomes of early parent-child adrenocortical attunement in the high-risk offspring of depressed parents. Developmental Psychobiology. 

  2. Leppert, K. A., Smith, V. C., Merwin, S. M., Tolep, M. R., & Dougherty, L. R. (2018). Cortisol rhythm in preschoolers: Relations with maternal depression and child temperament. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment.

  3. Barrios, C.S., Jay, S.Y., Smith, V.C., Alfano, C.A., & Dougherty, L.R. (2017). Stability and Predictive Validity of the Parent-Child Sleep Interactions Scale: A Longitudinal Study Among Preschoolers. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 1-15.

  4. Merwin, S.M., Leppert, K.A., Smith, V.C., & Dougherty, L.R. (2017). Parental Depression and Parent and Child Stress Physiology: Moderation by Parental Hostility. Developmental Psychobiology, 59, 997-1009.

  5. Merwin, S. M., Smith, V. C., Kushner, M., Lemay, E. P. Jr., & Dougherty, L. R. (2017). Parent-child adrenocortical concordance in early childhood: the moderating role of parental depression and child temperament. Biological Psychology, 124, 100-110.

  6. Leppert, K., Kushner, M., Smith, V. C., Lemay, E. P. Jr., & Dougherty, L. R. (2016). Children's cortisol responses to a social evaluative laboratory stressor from early to middle childhood. Developmental Psychobiology, 58, 1019-1033.

  7. Dougherty, L. R., Smith, V. C., Bufferd, S. J., Kessel, E. M. Carlson, G. A., & Klein, D. N. (2016). Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder at the age of six years and clinical and functional outcomes three years later. Psychological Medicine, 46, 1103-1114.

  8. Kushner, M., Barrios, C., Smith, V. C., & Dougherty, L. R. (2015). Physiological and behavioral vulnerability markers increase risk to early life stress in preschool-aged children. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 44, 859-870. 

  9. Dougherty, L.R., Smith, V.C., Bufferd, S.J., Kessel, E., Carlson, G.A., & Klein, D.N. (2015). Preschool Irritability predicts child psychopathology, functional impairment, and service use at nine years. Journal of Child Psychiatry and Psychology, 56, 999-1007. 

  10. Merwin, S.M., Smith, V.C., Dougherty L.R. (2015). ‘It takes two’: The interaction between parenting and child temperament on parents’ stress physiology. Developmental Psychobiology, 57, 336-348.

  11. Dougherty, L. R., Leppert, K. A., Merwin, S. M., Smith, V.C., Bufferd, S.J., & Tolep, M.R. (2015). Advances and Directions in Preschool Mental Health Research. Child Development Perspectives, 1, 14-15.

  12. Dougherty, L.R., Smith, V.C., Bufferd, S.J., Carlson, G.A., & Klein, D.N. (2014). DSM-5 Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder: Correlates and Predictors in Young Children. Psychological Medicine, 44, 2339-2350.

  13. Smith, V.C., & Dougherty, L.R. (2014). Noisy Spit: Parental Noncompliance with Child Cortisol Collection. Developmental Psychobiology, 56, 647-656. 

  14. Smith, V.C., Leppert, K.L., Alfano, C.A., & Dougherty, L.R. (2014). Construct Validity of the Parent-Child Sleep Interactions Scale (PSIS): Associations with Parenting, Family Stress, and Maternal and Child Psychopathology. Sleep Medicine, 15, 942-951.

  15. Alfano, C.A., Smith, V.C., Reynolds, K., Reddy, R., & Dougherty, L.R. (2013). The Parent-Child Sleep Interactions Scale (PSIS) for Preschoolers: Factor Structure and Initial Psychometric Properties. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 9, 1153-1160.

  16. Dougherty, L.R., Smith, V.C., Bufferd, S.J., Stringaris, A., Leibenluft, E., Carlson, G.A., & Klein, D.N. (2013). Preschool Irritability: Longitudinal Associations with Psychiatric Disorders at Age Six and Parental Psychopathology. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 52, 1304-1313.

  17. Dougherty, L.R., Smith, V.C., Olino, T.M., Dyson, M., Bufferd, S., Rose, S., & Klein, D.N. (2013). Maternal Depression and Early Child Temperament Predict Young Children's Salivary Cortisol Three Years Later. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 41, 531-542.

  18. Dougherty, L.R., Tolep, M.R., Smith, V.C., & Rose, S. (2013). Early Exposure to Parental Depression and Parenting: Associations with Young Offspring’s Stress Physiology and Oppositional Behavior. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 8, 1299-1310.

INVITED CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

  1. Smith, V.C., Leppert, K., Alfano, C.A., & Dougherty, L.R. (August, 2014). Evidence for the Construct Validity of the Parent-Child Sleep Interactions Scale (PSIS). Paper presented at the Exemplary Student Research in Pediatric Psychology Paper Session, American Psychological Association, Washington, D.C.

  2. Smith, V.C., Salamon, K.S., Zakarin, E.B., & Fletcher, A.A. (August, 2014). Pain Intensity and Depression in Pediatric Chronic Pain: The Moderating Role of Peer Relationships. Paper presented at the Exemplary Student Research in Pediatric Psychology Paper Session, American Psychological Association, Washington, D.C.

  3. Goodman, S. & Smith, V.C. (2015, April). Health Disparities and Unique Health Challenges for Individuals with Down Syndrome. Presented at the 21st Century Advances in Down Syndrome Research Advocacy Congressional Briefing Series, Washington, D.C.

  4. Taking Charge: Food Allergy Management When You Are On Your Own. (2014, November). Herbert, L., Smith, V.C., and Humaira R. Presented at the 9th annual Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) Teen Summit, Washington, DC.

PEER-REVIEWED CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

  1. Barrios, C.S., Jay, S.Y., Smith, V.C., Alfano, C.A., Dougherty, L.R. (2017, November). Stability and predictive validity of the Parent-Child Sleep Interactions Scale (PSIS): A longitudinal study among preschoolers. Poster presented at the 2017 meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy, San Diego, CA.

  2. Barrios, C., Leppert, K., Smith, V.C., Kushner, M., & Dougherty, L.R. (2016, October). Early childhood stress physiology predicts greater attentional bias toward threat in middle childhood. Poster presented at the meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy, New York, NY.

  3. Merwin, S. M., Leppert, K. A., Smith, V. C., Rose, S., & Dougherty, L. R. (2016, August).The moderating role of parents’ depression on the association between parenting behavior and parent and child stress physiology. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, Denver, CO.

  4. Merwin, S. M., Smith, V. C., Kushner, M., Lemay, E. P., & Dougherty, L. R. (2016, May). Parent-Child Adrenocortical Concordance in Early Childhood: The Moderating Role of Parental Depression and Child Temperament. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Psychological Science, Chicago, IL.

  5. Leppert, K. A., Kushner, M. R., Smith, V. C., Lemay Jr., E. P., & Dougherty, L. R. (2016, May). Children’s cortisol responses to a laboratory stressor from early to middle childhood. Poster presented at the 28th Annual Convention of the Association for Psychological Science, Chicago, IL.

  6. Dougherty, L.R., Smith, V.C., Bufferd, S., Kessel, E., Carlson, G., & Klein, D. (2015, September). Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder at Age 6 and Clinical Outcomes Three Years Later. Poster presented at the 1st Congress on Pediatric Irritability and Dysregulation, Burlington, VT.

  7. Thomas, S. R., Smith, V.C., Dougherty, L.R., Rubin, K., & Chronis-Tuscano, A. (2015, July). Associations between Paternal Psychological Functioning, Parenting and Child Sleep Problems among Inhibited/Anxious Preschoolers. Poster presented at the 17th Biennial Meeting of the International Society for Research in Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, Portland, OR.

  8. Advocacy Boot Camp: Producing Effective Federal, State, and Local Advocates. (2015, June). Workshop coordinated with Susan Goodman, J.D., and Ricki Sabia, J.D. at the 42nd Annual National Down Syndrome Congress Conference, Phoenix, Arizona.

  9. Leppert, K., Fisseha, F., Smith, V.C., Rose, S., & Dougherty, L. R. (2015, May). The interaction between parental depression and parental hostility on preschoolers’ cortisol awakening response. Poster presented at the 27th Annual Convention of the Association for Psychology Science, New York, NY.

  10. Merwin, S. M., Hare, M., Smith, V. C., Rose, S., & Dougherty, L. R. (2015, May). The moderating role of parental depression on the association between parenting and parents’ stress physiology. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Psychological Science, New York, NY.

  11. Goodman, S. & Smith, V.C. (2015, April). Health Disparities and Unique Health Challenges for Individuals with Down Syndrome. Presented at the 21st Century Advances in Down Syndrome Research Advocacy Congressional Briefing Series, Washington, D.C.

  12. Blankenship, S., Smith, V.C., Riggins, T., & Dougherty, L.R. (2015, March). Interaction between Maternal Lifetime Depression and Early Negative Parenting on Hippocampal Connectivity. Poster presented at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Philadelphia, PA.

  13. Smith, V.C., Tolep, M.R., Condit, C.S., & Dougherty, L.R. (2014, November). Cortisol Awakening Response in Preschoolers and Depression Risk: Relations with Parental History of Depression and Child Temperament. Poster presented at the 48th annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Philadelphia, PA.

  14. Dougherty, L.R., Smith, V.C., Bufferd, S.J., Stringaris, A., Leibenluft, E., Carlson, G., & Klein, D.N. (2014, October). Irritability and Mood Dysregulation in Early Childhood: Correlates, Predictors, and Outcomes. Symposium conducted at the 61st Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, San Diego, CA.

  15. Merwin, S.M., Smith, V.C., & Dougherty, L.R. (August, 2014). Parenting and parent stress physiology: The moderating role of child effortful control. Poster presented at the 25th annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, Washington, DC.

  16. Blankenship, S., Langeslag, S.J.E., Smith, V.C., Riggins, T., & Dougherty, L.R. (2014, April). Longitudinal Associations Between Negative Parenting During Early Childhood and Hippocampal Resting-State Networks Three Years Later. Poster presented at the 21st annual meeting of the Cognitive Neuroscience Society, Boston, MA.

  17. Fletcher, A.A. Salamon, K.S., Zakarin, E.B., Davis, M., & Smith, V.C. (2014, April). Peer Relationships and Pain Mechanisms in Youth with Chronic Pain. Poster presented at the 35th annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, Philadelphia, PA.

  18. Salamon, K.S., Zakarin, E.B., Davis, M., Smith, V.C., & Fletcher, A.A. (2014, April). Youth Reported Chronic Pain Acceptance: The Role of Pain Presentation. Poster presented at the 35th annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, Philadelphia, PA.

  19. Zakarin, E.B., Salamon, K.S., Smith, V.C., Davis, M., & Fletcher, A.A. (April, 2014). Anxiety, Acceptance, and Pain-Related Functional Impairment in Youth with Chronic Pain. Poster to be presented at the 35th annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, Philadelphia, PA.

  20. Fletcher, A.A., Zakarin, E.B., Smith, V.C., Finkel, J., & Salamon, K.S. (March, 2014). Advances in pediatric chronic pain assessment via web-based measurements: Patient Reported Outcome Measurement System (PROMIS). Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Pediatric Psychology, Philadelphia, PA.

  21. Salamon, K.S., Zakarin, E.B., Smith, V.C., Davis, M., & Fletcher, A.A. (March, 2014). Exploring the Role of Chronic Pain Acceptance: Implications for Treatment Delivery. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Pediatric Psychology, Philadelphia, PA.

  22. Smith, V.C., Salamon, K.S., & Fletcher, A.A. (March, 2014). Pediatric Chronic Pain: Parent-Youth Discrepancies Related to the Assessment of Internalizing Symptoms and Functional Impairment. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Pediatric Psychology, Philadelphia, PA.

  23. Tolep, M.R., Leppert, K.A., Quinn, M.E., Smith, V.C., & Dougherty, L.R. (November, 2013). Depressogenic cognitions in preschoolers: Correlates and risk for psychopathology. Poster presented at the 47th annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Nashville, TN.

  24. Smith, V.C., Dougherty, L.R., Bufferd, S.J., Carlson, G.A., & Klein, D.N. (November, 2013). DSM-5 Proposed Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder: Prevalence, Comorbidity, and Concurrent and Longitudinal Correlates in a Large Community Sample of Six-Year Olds. Poster presented at the 47th annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Nashville, TN.

  25. Dougherty, L.R., Tolep, M. R., & Smith, V.C. (2013, June). Early exposure to parental depression and parenting: Associations with young offspring’s stress physiology and oppositional behavior. Symposium presented at the meeting of the International Society of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (ISRCAP), Leuven, Belgium.

  26. Smith, V.C., Tolep, M.R., Condit, C.S., & Dougherty, L.R. (2013, May). Noisy Spit: Parental Noncompliance with Child Salivary Cortisol Sampling. Poster presented at the 25th annual meeting of the Association for Psychological Science, Washington, DC.

  27. Sheikh, H.I., Kryski, K.R., Smith, H.J., Tolep, M.R., Smith, V.C., Dougherty, L.R., Hayden, E.P., Singh, S.M. (2013, May). Pathways between Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor gene polymorphisms (Leu260Phe) and internalizing symptoms in early childhood: The roles of HPA axis reactivity and early life stress. Poster presented at the 68th Annual meeting of the Society of Biological Psychiatry, San Francisco, CA.

  28. Tolep, M.R., Condit, C.S., Smith, V.C., & Dougherty, L.R. (2013, May). The Conundrum of the Laboratory: Challenges of Assessing Preschool-Age Children’s Salivary Cortisol Reactivity. Poster presented at the 25th annual meeting of the Association for Psychological Science, Washington, DC.

  29. Reynolds, K.C., Reddy, R., Balderas, J., Smith, V.C., Kushnir, J., Dougherty, L.R., & Alfano, C.A. (2012, November). Initial Psychometric Properties of the Parent-Child Sleep Interaction Scale (PCSIS) in Preschoolers. Poster presented at the 46th annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, National Harbor, MD.

  30. Smith, V.C., Dougherty, L.R., Olino, T.M., Dyson, M., Bufferd, S., Rose, S., & Klein, D.N. (2012, May). Maternal Depression and Early Child Temperament Predict Young Children's Salivary Cortisol Three Years Later. Poster presented at the 24th annual meeting of the Association for Psychological Science, Chicago, IL.

  31. Tolep, M.R., Dougherty, L.R., Smith, V.C., & Rose, S. (2012, May). Exposure to Parental Depression and Parental Hostility: Associations with Young Offspring’s Stress Physiology and Behavior. Poster presented at the 24th annual meeting of the Association for Psychological Science, Chicago, IL.

  32. Quinn, M.E., Tolep, M.R., Smith, V.C., Condit, C.S., Hayden, E.P., & Dougherty, L.R. (2011, May). Negative Cognitive Styles and Cortisol Reactivity in Preschoolers: Investigating Mechanisms of Risk for Depression. Poster presented at the 23rd annual meeting of the Association for Psychological Science, Washington, DC.

LICENSURE

Virginia
Maryland
Washington DC
California
New York
PSYPACT Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT) across US states

SERVICE

2022, WISER Scholarship Committee
2020-2022, Website and Social Media Co-Chair, Northern Virginia Clinical Psychologists (NVCP)
2018-2020, Executive Board Secretary, Northern Virginia National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI)
2013-2015, Executive Board Student Rep, Society for a Science of Clinical Psychology (APA, Div 12, Section 5)
2010-2013, Co-Founder & Co-Chair, Diversity Training in Psychology Committee, University of Maryland

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT)
American Psychological Association (APA)
Society for a Science of Clinical Psychology (SSCP)
Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA)
Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT)
Northern Virginia Clinical Psychologists (NVCP)