Oftentimes, clients feel stuck in the darkest places or have lost the spark of joy in their life. This could be due to difficult transitions in life, loss, various different fears or anxieties, or even uncertainty for direction on your path in life. If we are able to identify the how and why of our emotions and actions, we can start to improve and change our behaviors that hinder us. When we become more aware of their emotions, thoughts, and actions, we can move steadily toward the life we dream of. As a play therapist, not only am I passionate about working with children and teens, but also adults who would like to explore their inner child to bring creativity, joy, and playfulness back into their lives. I often use art, storytelling, metaphor, or visual aids when appropriate, to facilitate growth and learning key coping skills. I have helped many clients grow and move through the lingering effects and pains of trauma or life transitions, whether recent or long buried. I can help in facilitating growth and healing after difficult and often excruciating experiences, while progressing at your pace and comfort level. I work with clients who often worry they are “not good enough” just as they are or struggle with anger or anxiety about how the world might treat them. We can work together to help you learn to love yourself for who you are, not what others say or expect you to be. My clients include people who struggle with anxiety, self-esteem, life transitions, as well as those who identify as LGBTQ+ or gender non-conforming. Contact me today to see if we are the right fit to start your healing journey. I can’t wait to meet you!
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
In our first session together, we'll start with brief introductions, then dive into the specific challenges you're facing, while also focusing on the strengths and supports you already have currently. This will help me create a tailored plan for us to work through in follow-up sessions.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
I have cultivated the ability to listen with empathy and an open heart. I am accepting and non-judgemental. I take care to build trust in sessions, often with humor, where appropriate, and in finding common interests to connect with clients, aiding in building the therapeutic relationship. Each individual is unique and will be treated as such. I often utilize experiential tools, which include art-making, storytelling, metaphor and visual aids to teach coping skills and key concepts to reduce client distress. I operate from a Humanistic and Gestalt framework, with a strength-based approach to goal-setting. I am highly trained in trauma-focused and play-based interventions, as well as cognitive behavioral methods of treatment. However, I tailor tools to the individual and their specific needs, so that therapy can be just as fun as it can be healing.
Describe the client(s) you are best positioned to serve.
I particularly enjoy working with those who identify as a part of the LGBTQ+ community, and have had extensive training in addressing their unique challenges. I also have 7+ years of experience working with children and teens who have experienced trauma, as well as their caregivers.
About Sami Cortez, LPC, RPT
Specializes in
Serves ages
Licensed in
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Appointments
VirtualMy treatment methods
Play Therapy
I am a Registered Play Therapist (RPT), which is a national credential given by the Association for Play Therapy (APT) after extensive training and supervised experience in play interventions and play therapy with children, teens, and even adults. I operate from a Gestalt theory lens, which means I help clients become more aware of their emotions and thoughts via means of experiential or “hands-on” expressive work (including art, play, role-playing, drama/performing, sensory play, sandtray work, books, and more). It is my role to help you express yourself authentically and clearly in whichever way you are suited to. And if you are not sure what that means or what it could mean for you, I invite you to find out in our work together!
Trauma-Focused CBT
I am certified in TF-CBT, which is an evidenced-based and research-supported modality to treat trauma in children and teens. I can teach coping skills and strategies to combat your more troublesome symptoms, so that once we have a sturdy toolkit of supports and skills, we can dive into the thoughts and feelings that may keep us from moving forward and living life to the fullest. My personal approach is based solely on the client and their pace. I will never force anyone to discuss their trauma, but research shows that if we keep it hidden, we may see it pop up later on in some of the worst ways. I have worked with kids and those who have experienced trauma from most of my mental health career and it’s incredible to see how children’s self-esteem grows by the end of treatment, especially when a caregiver is active and willing to be involved in sessions too.
Cognitive Processing (CPT)
I have training in CPT, which is what I like to say is TF-CBT for adults. It’s a direct and structured approach that helps clients reduce avoidance of trauma and their symptoms to combat what is keeping them stuck in life, not able to move forward. CPT is designed to be 12-24 sessions, depending on the client needs. It not only helps clients have different mindset and heal trauma symptoms, but it can also address self-esteem, intimacy, trust, power/control, and safety issues. It’s relatively quick for motivated clients who are not afraid to do work outside of session. But, I love to make it fun by tailoring everything to client needs and interests.
Strength-Based
I tend to operate from a strengths-based, awareness-centered approach, that helps clients see how wonderful they really are. Some clients have no idea what they are best at or tend to have a negative outlook on life, since so many of us focus on the bad things. My approach is not “be happy” or “just do journaling” etc, but it’s finding out what you may already do that is healing to yourself (or your inner child) and bring awareness to it. Then we can find ways to deepen those practices in a way that feels authentic to you. I will teach ways to combat negative thinking patterns, communication skills, relaxation and mindfulness techniques, and more. But, I can also help you find ways to seamlessly integrate these skills into daily life, with practice and self-discipline, but also compassion and understanding.
Humanistic
I believe that clients are the experts in their own lives, but that sometimes they need an open and non-judgmental place to explore their needs, wants, and curiosities. I can hold space for you as you are able to find your own way through life difficulties, in any form they may manifest. Coming from a humanistic perspective, I am gender-affirming and neurodivergent-affirming in practice. So, I am most concerned about tailoring treatment to what you need most, whether that’s gentle guidance, challenging problematic patterns, finding practical tools to combat stress, or anything in between. We can work together on ways to help you live the life you’ve always dreamed of, and aid in the little challenges along the way.