Lunch & Learn: Family Communication: Mastering Difficult Conversations with Shelly Smith-Acuña

Shelly Smith-Acuña, PhD

University of Denver, Graduate School of Professional Psychology

Shelly Smith‑Acuña, PhD, is a professor of clinical psychology at the University of Denver and Dean Emerita of the Graduate School of Professional Psychology. A relationship‑centered clinician and scholar, she focuses on how people connect and change across the lifespan, with particular attention to couples and families and to the unique dynamics that arise in later life. Her work integrates systems theory with contemporary practice to illuminate how culture and gender shape family interactions, caregiving roles, and resilience, especially for older adults navigating health transitions, multigenerational households, and evolving identities.



Dr. Smith‑Acuña’s research and teaching explore the process and outcomes of psychotherapy, emphasizing what actually helps people improve: the quality of therapeutic relationships, meaningful engagement of partners and family members, and culturally attuned interventions that fit clients’ lived contexts. She brings this lens to the classroom, supervision, and community practice, translating theory into accessible strategies that strengthen relationships and support well‑being. The author of Systems Theory in Action (Wiley, 2010), she is known for clarifying complex concepts and for advancing an integrative, humanistic approach to care that honors diversity and promotes flourishing in individuals, couples, families, and communities.