Smiti Srivastava

Biography

I am a doctoral researcher in the Department of Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies at the University of Essex, and a psychodynamic psychotherapist with nine years of clinical experience. I completed my master's degree and clinical training at the University of Edinburgh, and I work primarily with adults who experience difficulties in their romantic relationships. My research trajectory began in 2015 in Edinburgh, where my dissertation explored online romantic relationships. Since then, my work has returned to core questions concerning modern romance and the role of technology in mediating relational life. More recently, my focus has turned to how artificial intelligence (AI) adds further complexity to love and intimacy between individuals. Alongside my clinical and research work, I have developed and facilitated community-based groups in India. I established and ran a support group for individuals struggling with online dating and, more recently, a psychoanalysis and film group. The latter was an in-person forum for psychotherapists to meet, connect, and apply psychoanalytic thinking beyond the clinical frame. I am a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and am committed to maintaining a high standard of care in my clinical work. Within the department, I serve as the student representative for postgraduate research students. I was also a member of the organising committee for the department's open student research conference, Winds of Change (2026). In addition, I have co-chaired sessions at both the departmental research forum and the department's annual conference, Winds of Change.

Qualifications

• Master of Counselling (Interpersonal Dialogue) University of Edinburgh (2017)

Thesis