helping people overcome panic, anxiety, and intrusive thoughts so life feels manageable again, since 2019.
Hi! I’m Samantha…
I laugh at my own jokes (someone has to!).
I have a serious sweet tooth—and a cookie connoisseur.
I am a pieces sun, gemini rising and gemini moon, manifesting generator & an infj.
For much of my life, I looked capable on the outside while struggling quietly on the inside.
Growing up with significant health challenges in a family that often felt it had to manage on its own, I learned early how to be independent. Being described as mature for my age and "an old soul" became part of my identity. I became skilled at handling things myself, pushing through difficulties, and rarely asking for help.
At the same time, I carried a constant undercurrent of anxiety. I assumed that one day I would simply grow out of feeling on edge, and that the harsh self-criticism I directed toward myself was justified.
Over time, I became curious about why anxiety can feel so persistent, why self-doubt can become such a familiar companion, and what actually helps people create lasting change. This curiosity eventually led me to counselling and to a deeper understanding of how we can relate to ourselves with greater compassion, heal the parts of us that carry shame or fear, and find steadiness in the midst of life's challenges.
As a neurodivergent woman, I understand the unique pressures that can come from living in a world that isn't always designed with neurodiversity in mind. My experience also being shaped by privilege, as a cisgender white woman, I continue to learn about the systemic barriers and inequities faced by Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) communities and other marginalized groups.
I know that what looks like strength from the outside is often an adaptation. Many of us become highly capable not because life was easy, but because we learned we had to be.
I strive to create a space where people from all cultural, social, and identity backgrounds feel respected, welcomed, and supported. I am committed to ongoing learning and to being an affirming ally to BIPOC and 2SLGBTQ+ individuals.
The work that we will do will help you feel less overwhelmed and more in control. We will create space and skills that builds trust, and a sense of safety, so you can move forward with more clarity, ease, and confidence.
I believe that therapy requires a mix of humour, compassion and gentle direction.
If you are needing someone who agrees with everything you say or someone who just meets everything you bring to sessions with anguished empathy… Im not your girl. I am committed to getting the most out of our time together, your commitment, time and energy. The work that I do allows me to notice patterns and constellations in your experiences, also notice changes and wins, big and small, and I will always be clear and transparent with you.
My work as a therapist is deeply grounded in offering a counselling experience that allows you to feel safe, comfortable and empowered. It is also based on both personal positive and negative experiences I have had myself as a client. I have a special interest in helping women struggling with anxiety disorders, ranging from an overarching undercurrent experience of anxiety, to panic attacks, intrusive thoughts, compulsions and urges, worries about health and specific fears or phobias.
In my practice, I use Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Internal Family Systems and EMDR primarily. These all focus on redistributing the energy and activation experienced in the brain and body, more evenly, so that you feel more balanced and in control.
Credentials
BSc/Hons - mental health nursing
BSc/Hons - health visiting (specialist community public health nursing
Post grad diploma - cognitive behavioural therapy for children and young people
Masters - counselling psychology
Basic training - EMDR