Dr Ashley Smyth joined Cornerstone Christian College in 1997. Dr Smyth is responsible for developing both the degree and Certificate programmes in the Psychology Department and is presently the Head of Department. Dr Smyth is also the Deputy Principal and has responsibility for the day-to-day management of the college.

Dr Smyth has a deep concern that students in his department gain as much practical experience as possible given the scope of community mental health needs in the Western Cape. He has a desire to make the Psychology programme as practical as possible whilst bearing in mind the importance of helping students to gain a strong theoretical understanding of Psychology as a Human Science. Dr Smyth’s academic interests range from helping students to understand the social context of Africa and its challenges for psychology as a largely first-world discipline, to helping students to find their own unique personality style in working with clients.

Dr Smyth and his family moved from the UK to South Africa in 1984 in order for him to pastor a local church in Cape Town. His many years of pastoral ministry have helped shape his unique teaching style in which he highlights the importance of Christian faith to counselling practice. Dr Smyth is especially adept at helping his students to explore the practice of theology of the Christian life as it pertains to the discipline of counselling psychology. His research interests include understanding the church as a healing community; the Christian response to HIV/AIDS and designing a contextual curriculum for the training of community mental health practitioners for African realities. He has published articles in each of these areas over the past five years.