I practice inclusivity of all races, genders, sexual orientations, and spiritual practices. Your comfort and feelings of safety in our work together are important to me
Samia is a National Certified Counselor, LAC, and has successfully integrated cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, EMDR, and trauma-informed care practices into her work. She completed a Masters in Higher Education and a Masters in Clinical Mental Health. In her post-graduate training, she has supervised clinicians in training and instructed graduate-level courses. She has continued to advance her clinical training during her Ph.D. studies. Additionally she is trained by Beck Institute, a pioneer in international cognitive-behavioral research.
Samia believes therapy requires balance. She will assist you to process past events that inform your current struggles. In tandem, she will support you in learning new skills to live a more aware and present life. She uses a collaborative approach in which you are the expert in your experiences. Her personal style is down-to-earth, authentic, sincere, and appreciative of humor.
Let’s create change together! I have struggled with challenges of my own in life and have continuously chosen kindness and vulnerability. Curiosity has led me to many adventures in life and allowed me to notice common desires people have to belong, be seen, heard, and understood.
Therapy
Every session should feel safe and non-judgmental. You have a unique story that has shaped who you are today. I believe in understanding your experience and that one size does not fit all. We will collaborate to set goals that will help you find more fulfillment and tools to manage life’s struggles.
It is important to be patient and have empathy for yourself during therapy. The brain and body require you to be in sync when working through the changes you would like to make. Therapy is a process.
A strong feeling of trust between you and your therapist is a significant indicator of your progress in therapy. The therapeutic space is yours and I honor the privilege to be invited to it by protecting it as confidential.
“The strongest people are not those who show strength in front of us but those who win battles we know nothing about.”
Group Therapy
Group therapy is equally effective as evidence-based individual therapy. A big part of life is learning to have meaningful connections with other people. A significant part of mental health wellness is keeping those people around and feeling supported. Group therapy is a safe space to learn and practice interpersonal skills that encourage connection and closeness. As a result members of group therapy find that the skills become easier to utilize outside of group sessions in their daily interactions.
Specializations
I utilize Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, an evidenced based approach that allows you to explore the relationship between your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. The philosophy of this modality is solution focused and to help individuals get unstuck.
I am trained in EMDR (Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing). I integrate a trauma informed lens to highlight the brain-body relationship. The brain uses the fight, flight, freeze responses as survival tools to protect us from harmful situations. Traumatic events can cause the brain to perceive safe situations as threatening, leading to stressful reactions. Trauma informed care helps individuals to be present in their body and environment The journey along the way to becoming present is a process often referred to as “rewiring the brain”.
My philosophies of therapy are bridged by principles of humanism. In other words, I believe self discovery is a natural part of therapy. Self awareness, holding oneself accountable, and striving for growth are a part of the human experience.