Born in 1952 in Pennsylvania, Roy Smith was part of a small family with his father pastoring causing him and his family to move around from church to church throughout the state.
Roy was born into a family with two sisters and one brother. His brother, Rhett, would tragically pass away at 15 years old, Roy was 16 at the time.
In 1970 Roy Smith attended The Kings College in Briarcliff Manor, NY. Roy would graduate in 1974 with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology.
This would be the beginning of a long academic and professional foray into mental health services for Roy.
In 1977, Roy would earn his Master of Divinity from the Evangelical School of Theology in Myerstown, PA.
He pursued this degree to better understand the theological issues that put together what the Bible is teaching in a manner that is practical and applies the scriptures to the nitty gritty issues of life.
Much of his training in that area was centered around pastoral counseling.
Roy would earn his Master’s in Clinical Psychology from the Rosemead Graduate School in LaMirada California for Clinical Psychology in 1979.
“Image courtesy of Biola University Archives – digitalcommons.biola.edu”
Roy would earn his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the California Graduate Institute in Los Angeles, California.
After earning his Doctorate in Psychology, Roy would began his own counseling practice the year following.
Pennsylvania Psychological Services was founded by Roy & Jan Smith in 1983 and would evolve into Pennsylvania Counseling Services in 1993, and finally become incorporated in 1995.
From humble beginnings as a sole proprietorship in 1983 out of the home of Roy and Jan Smith, PCS has grown into a business that employs ~650 Pennsylvanians across 11 counties and 26 mental health and addiction clinics.
Most of Roy’s patients were men seeking counseling either mandated by the government or driven by family relationship issues. Their children were often angry, and their partners were on the verge of leaving.
Roy prayed for them to have another chance to show their love. Roy also prayed to create a program to help men as husbands and fathers.
When forming a volunteer group to share the K21 message, 16 of the 18 volunteers reported that K21 significantly improved their marriages and roles as fathers, prompting their families to support spreading the message. This began Knights on the 21st Century.
Growing up in a pastor’s home, where it was common for someone in need to knock at the door, he became fully aware of others’ needs and the vicarious trauma one absorbs when continuously working with the hurting.
It is often said, and Roy has witnessed, that those who are wounded wound others. He also saw his father’s positive and life-changing ministry destroyed by his inability to address past trauma, which eventually broke through and harmed him.
Roy is convinced that God has called him to do this work in ways that seem miraculous. Roy founded Servant’s Oasis as a place of refuge where leaders can recharge, and carry on their life changing work.
Today, Roy continues to write for the greater good and remains involved with all he has founded. Roy has been married for 48 years to his wife, Jan, who is also a psychologist. Together, they have two children, Kim and Nicholas. Kim followed in her parents’ footsteps and became a psychologist. She is a mother of two and is the president of Pennsylvania Counseling Services. Sadly, Nicholas passed away in 2020.
Roy continues his work to serve the underserved and overlooked. His leadership aims to provide the various communities he serves with options based on the belief that individuals are valued and, with the right support, are able to change.