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Meet Rafaella Smith-Fiallo

Updated: Oct 6

Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Missouri License #: 2018000981; Nevada License #: 8279-C




Rafaella sitting in a large wooden chair wearing an orange dress. A tall green plant is positioned beside her.
Rafaella Smith-Fiallo, LCSW, CSE, CST, (she/ella)

Rafaella (she/ella) is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified Sexuality Educator, and Certified Sex Therapist who is passionate about helping people reconnect with themselves, their bodies, and their pleasure. She offers trauma-informed sex therapy rooted in care, collaboration, and liberation.


Whether you’re navigating trauma, shame, disconnection, or relationship challenges, therapy with Rafaella is a collaborative space to explore, process, and heal. She brings over a decade of experience supporting clients through grief, identity development, sexual health issues, body image concerns, relationship stress, and more.






Rafaella works with individuals and couples who are ready to:


  • Reclaim pleasure after trauma

  • Deepen emotional and physical intimacy

  • Explore their sexual identity without shame

  • Process religious and cultural messages about sex and worth

  • Build a life aligned with authenticity and self-trust


Her therapeutic approach blends trauma-informed care, pleasure-centered theory, CBT, parts work, narrative therapy, and creative expression, all tailored to the needs and identities of each client. She believes that healing doesn’t have to be rushed -- it just has to be real.


Specialty areas

  • Developmental trauma and complex PTSD

  • LGBTQIA+ identity identity and exploration

  • Adult survivors of abuse and violence

  • Self-harm and suicidality

  • Substance use and addiction

  • Relationship struggles and concerns

  • Sex and sexuality


Modalities/approaches

  • Sex Therapy

  • Internal Family Systems (IFS)

  • Eye-Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR)

  • Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)

  • Gottman Method Couples Therapy

  • Somatic Experiencing (SE)

  • Bibliotherapy


Certifications/Licensure

  • Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) - Missouri & Nevada

  • Certified Sexuality Educator (CSE)

  • Certified Sex Therapist (CST)


Affiliations

  • American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT)

  • Association of Black Sexologists and Clinicians (ABSC)

  • International Association of Trauma Professionals (IATP)


Education

  • Washington University in St. Louis, Master of Social Work - Mental Health

  • North Carolina A&T State University, Psychology


Book a free 15 minute consultation and let's see if we're a good fit.



Enjoy self-help resources?


Check out my 52-Week Journal for Couples!

Journal with write-in prompts on intimacy issues, featuring text "Strengthen your bond with write-in prompts." Yellow background, pencil.

Or listen to our podcast, Soft Landing: A Gentle Space for Self-Discovery, where we cover topics ranging from relationships, sex, and trauma.


Green sofa on white rug, side table with blue vase, hanging lanterns. Text: "soft landing, a gentle space for self-discovery." Cozy mood.


More from Rafaella: Destined To Do This Work


Rafaella standing for a portrait, hand on her hip and laughing while looking to the side.
“I don’t identify as a healer of anyone but myself -- but learning the meaning of my name decades ago was both telling and motivating. I wouldn’t want any other name.”

Name pronunciation

Englist: Rah-fee-l-la

Spanish: Rrah-fah-eh-lah


My name means: God heals. God has healed. Healer. Doctor.


Rafaella has spent more than 10 years in healing-centered roles -- from providing hospice care and counseling youth in group homes, to mentoring college students and supporting individuals with severe mental illness. Throughout it all, one theme has remained: helping people come home to themselves.


In 2015, she co-founded Afrosexology with Dalychia Saah -- a pleasure-based sex education platform that centers Black liberation, embodiment, and sexual agency. Since then, her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, HuffPost, Teen Vogue, Vibe Magazine, and more.


Therapy, for Rafaella, isn’t just a job -- it’s a calling. A place where dialogue leads to healing and discovery. A space where pleasure and power can be reclaimed. A practice where you are always the expert on your own story.


Ready to Begin?

Whether you’re working through trauma, looking to improve your relationships, or want to experience more joy and freedom in your sexuality -- we’re here to support you.


Let’s start the conversation.


Healing Exchange is committed to your emotional wellness, sexual health, and relationship satisfaction.



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