LMSW-C, 25 years of experience
About Me Hi, I’m a Licensed Clinical Master’s Level Social Worker (LMSW) based in Michigan. For over 25 years, I’ve had the privilege of walking alongside individuals, families, children, and veterans as they navigate life’s struggles. Many of my clients come to me feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, weighed down by marital conflict, discouraged by low self-esteem, or stressed by the demands of work, parenting, and relationships. Others are parents seeking guidance for children and preteens with ADHD, needing support with school challenges, IEPs, 504 plans, and academic success. No matter the circumstance, I strive to meet clients where they are, honoring their unique story and helping them feel seen, supported, and understood. I provide compassionate, client-centered, and strength-based therapy, using evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), trauma-informed therapy, and mindfulness-based interventions. Together, we focus on building coping skills, behavior management, communication skills, resilience training, and emotional balance. My goal is to support you in finding practical coping tools while also fostering confidence, personal growth, and healthier relationships at home, school, and work. With over 15 years of experience working with veterans, I also support trauma recovery, reintegration into civilian life, and connection to housing and community resources. I bring a culturally responsive lens to my work with immigrants and first-generation individuals, supporting identity development, acculturation, family conflict, and multicultural stress. Whether you are an adult managing workplace stress and relationship challenges, a parent seeking counseling or parent coaching for your child’s ADHD, or someone looking to rebuild confidence and self-esteem, I offer a safe, nonjudgmental space to explore, heal, and grow. My mission is to provide therapy and emotional support that helps you feel empowered, supported, and equipped to move forward with greater clarity, strength, resilience, and overall wellness.
What to Expect During Our First Telehealth Mental Health Session Welcome! Thank you for taking the courageous step to begin your mental health therapy journey. Seeking support for anxiety, depression, PTSD, trauma, ADHD, stress, or relationship challenges is a brave and important step, and I’m here to walk alongside you in a safe, supportive, and nonjudgmental teletherapy space. Our first session, conducted via telehealth counseling, will primarily serve as an intake and clinical assessment session. During this session, I’ll ask questions to better understand your emotional, psychological, social, and environmental context, which allows us to create a personalized, evidence-based treatment plan tailored to your unique needs. 1. Introduction and Building Rapport We’ll start with introductions and take time to get comfortable. I prioritize empathy, transparency, and collaboration in therapy, creating a space where you feel heard, validated, and respected. Building trust in the therapeutic relationship is foundational to effective therapy, and we’ll discuss any preferences or concerns you have about your mental health counseling experience. 2. Intake and Clinical Assessment During this phase, we’ll explore: Your presenting concerns and reasons for seeking therapy. Your mental health history, including prior therapy experiences and coping strategies. Relevant medical, family, social, and cultural background. Your daily functioning, personal strengths, supports, and challenges. Collaborative goal-setting for therapy to support growth, emotional regulation, and well-being. You are welcome to share only what feels comfortable—this is your safe space, and we will proceed at your pace. 3. Overview of Evidence-Based Therapeutic Approaches Depending on your needs, we may use one or more evidence-based therapy modalities, including: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Explore the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, identify patterns contributing to distress, and develop practical skills for managing emotions, challenging negative thinking, and behavior change. Psychoeducation: Gain knowledge about symptoms, diagnoses, coping strategies, and mental health tools to better understand and manage your experiences. Culturally Sensitive Therapy: Navigate cultural identity, acculturation stress, immigration challenges, and diversity-related stressors within a respectful and understanding environment. Trauma-Informed Therapy: Address the effect
My Greatest Strengths: Professional Strengths and Experience Summary With over 25 years of experience as a Licensed Clinical Master’s Level Social Worker (LMSW), I provide evidence-based therapy, trauma-informed care, and mental health counseling for adults, children, adolescents, couples, and families. My clinical expertise spans inpatient and outpatient mental health treatment, school-based therapy, veteran and military services, and community mental health programs. I specialize in therapy for anxiety, depression, ADHD, trauma, PTSD, grief, stress management, and life transitions, helping clients improve emotional regulation, resilience, and overall well-being. A key strength of mine is providing culturally competent therapy for individuals and families from diverse cultural, immigrant, and first-generation backgrounds. I help clients navigate acculturation stress, identity challenges, cross-cultural conflict, and adjustment difficulties, fostering self-esteem, emotional wellness, and personal growth. I have extensive experience in child therapy, adolescent therapy, and family counseling, supporting children with behavioral challenges, ADHD, emotional dysregulation, school-related stress, and learning difficulties. I work with parents to implement behavior management strategies, structured routines, communication skills, and parenting support to enhance academic performance and family functioning. In couples therapy and relationship counseling, I help partners overcome communication difficulties, conflict resolution issues, trust challenges, intimacy struggles, and emotional disconnect. I utilize evidence-based approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills, mindfulness techniques, and psychoeducation to promote healthy relationships and long-term relational satisfaction. For veterans and military service members, I provide PTSD treatment, trauma recovery, transition to civilian life support, reintegration counseling, and housing and benefits navigation. My trauma-informed therapy for veterans strengthens coping skills, addresses service-related trauma, and fosters resilience, emotional stability, and life skills development. I also offer telehealth therapy, online counseling, and virtual mental health services, making therapy for anxiety, depression, PTSD, trauma, ADHD, and stress management more accessible, convenient, and confidential. My sessions are client-cen
Your Journey Matters: Supporting Adults, Veterans, and Those Facing Life’s Challenges If you’re reading this, you might be feeling weighed down by anxiety therapy needs, persistent depression, low self-esteem, emotional dysregulation, or stress that makes everyday tasks feel overwhelming. Maybe you’ve tried coping on your own or through other supports, and something inside you knows it’s time for professional mental health support, therapy for adults, or counseling for personal growth. Therapy is a space to slow down, reflect, and discover evidence-based coping strategies, emotional regulation skills, resilience building, and tools for improving mental wellness. For veterans and military service members, transitioning to civilian life can bring unique challenges, including PTSD, trauma recovery, adjustment difficulties, relationship struggles, and life transitions counseling. With over 15 years of experience supporting the veteran population, I provide tailored trauma-informed therapy, CBT for PTSD, and holistic mental health support designed to strengthen coping strategies, process service-related experiences, and reconnect you with your inner strengths. You don’t have to face these challenges alone—we’ll navigate them together. Taking the Next Step Reaching out for therapy can feel intimidating, and that’s completely normal. You don’t need all the answers—just a willingness to explore your experiences and discover strategies for anxiety management, depression relief, self-esteem improvement, emotional healing, and stress reduction. Whether you’re a veteran, adult, or first-generation individual seeking culturally responsive therapy, you deserve a safe, supportive space where your experiences are understood, your goals are prioritized, and your strengths are recognized. If you’re ready, I’m here to listen, guide, and provide compassionate, evidence-based mental health therapy. Together, we’ll move at your pace, explore practical coping skills, mindfulness techniques, behavioral interventions, and resilience-building strategies, and help you feel more grounded, empowered, and in control of your life. Reaching out is a small step—but it can mark the start of lasting personal growth, emotional well-being, and mental health transformation.
**My Experience with CBT and How I Use It in Practice** As a provider committed to compassionate and evidence-based care, I frequently use **Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)** to support individuals navigating challenges such as **anxiety, depression, ADHD, and addiction**. CBT is a widely respected therapeutic approach that focuses on identifying and shifting unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to emotional distress. What I appreciate most about CBT is that it empowers clients—it’s not just about “talking through problems,” but about developing **practical tools and strategies** that promote long-term emotional health and well-being. **An Empathetic, Empowering Approach to Healing** CBT helps people see the connection between their **thoughts, feelings, and behaviors**. When we’re struggling—whether with persistent worry, low mood, impulsivity, or cravings—our thoughts can become distorted and self-critical. CBT gently challenges these patterns and replaces them with healthier, more balanced ways of thinking. It’s a very **collaborative and compassionate approach**. I always meet clients where they are emotionally and culturally, working at a pace that feels right for them. Many people find comfort in the structure of CBT, especially during periods of overwhelm or uncertainty. Together, we build coping tools that not only relieve current distress but support **ongoing personal growth and resilience**. **Examples of How CBT Can Help** * **Anxiety**: CBT helps individuals identify anxious thoughts like “Something bad is going to happen” and replace them with more grounded, realistic perspectives. We also use relaxation skills and gradual exposure to reduce fear over time. * **Depression**: People struggling with depression often have thoughts like “I’m a failure” or “Nothing will ever change.” CBT helps break the cycle of negative thinking by encouraging small, meaningful actions and reshaping inner self-talk. * **ADHD**: CBT is effective for addressing the **emotional aspects** of ADHD such as low self-esteem, frustration, or shame. It also helps with time management, organization, and developing routines by using **practical, behavior-based strategies**. * **Addiction**: In CBT for addiction, we explore the thought patterns and triggers that lead to substance use. Together, we build a toolkit of alternative coping skills—like grounding techniques, self-soothing, and problem-solving—to stay on the path of recovery. **Why CBT Is So Helpful for Ongoing Healing** One of the most powerful aspects of CBT is that it **teaches lifelong coping skills**. Clients often leave therapy feeling more capable of managing life’s ups and downs on their own. These skills continue to grow over time, supporting not only symptom relief but also deeper healing and self-understanding. Above all, CBT is **hopeful**—it shows that change is possible, even if life has felt stuck or overwhelming for a long time.
I incorporate Motivational Interviewing (MI) as a collaborative and person-centered approach to support clients in making meaningful changes in their lives. MI is designed to enhance a client’s internal motivation by exploring and resolving ambivalence in a compassionate, non-judgmental way. It honors the client’s autonomy while validating their thoughts, feelings, and any resistance they may be experiencing around change. In my practice, I use core MI techniques such as reflective listening, affirmations, and open-ended questions to create a safe and supportive space. I express genuine acceptance of each client’s unique goals and readiness for change, helping them clarify their values and strengthen their commitment to personal growth. This approach empowers clients to move at their own pace and fosters lasting, self-directed change. If you're feeling uncertain or stuck, MI offers a respectful and supportive path forward—I’m here to walk alongside you.
My Experience with Christian Faith-Based Therapy and How I Use It in Practice I offer Christian faith-based therapy to clients who wish to integrate their spiritual beliefs, values, and relationship with God into the counseling process. For many, faith is not just something they practice — it’s part of who they are. It shapes their worldview, influences their choices, and serves as a foundation for how they navigate life’s challenges. In my work, I take time to understand and honor each client’s personal faith journey, including their upbringing, cultural background, and core spiritual values. These elements are often deeply rooted and can influence how individuals experience issues such as anxiety, grief, identity, relationships, or life transitions. I recognize that for many Christians, their connection to God and their faith community is central to their sense of meaning, hope, and healing. My approach is respectful and client-led — some clients may choose to speak openly about their faith, while others may simply want their values to be acknowledged and understood. Whether or not spiritual practices are actively included in our sessions, I aim to create a space where clients feel supported in bringing their whole selves — mind, body, and spirit — into the therapeutic process. Faith-based therapy can be especially meaningful for those who value being seen and supported through the lens of their Christian beliefs. If you are looking for a therapist who will honor your faith background and walk alongside you with compassion and cultural sensitivity, I would be privileged to support you on your journey.
My Experience with Solution-Focused Therapy Over the course of my 25+ years as a social worker and mental health clinician, I have found Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT) to be a highly effective approach—especially for clients who are eager to create meaningful change but may feel overwhelmed by their current challenges. Rather than dwelling on problems or past setbacks, SFT empowers individuals to tap into their own strengths and envision a future where their concerns are more manageable or resolved. In my practice, I use Solution-Focused Therapy to help clients identify clear, realistic, and achievable goals, and then work collaboratively to discover practical steps toward those goals. This approach is especially helpful for clients who are feeling stuck or hopeless, because it shifts the focus toward what is already working, even in small ways, and builds on those existing successes. For example, with both adults and children, I often explore moments when the problem was less intense or absent, and ask strength-based questions such as: “What’s different on the days when things go a little better?” “What would be the first small sign that things are improving?” “What strengths have helped you get through challenges before?” By highlighting a person’s own resources and encouraging forward movement, this approach builds confidence, motivation, and hope—key ingredients in long-term healing and growth. While I integrate SFT as part of a broader, individualized treatment plan—which may include CBT, trauma-informed care, or psychoeducation—it remains a core tool in my work with clients who are ready to set goals, take action, and celebrate progress, one step at a time.
2 ratings with written reviews
July 31, 2025
I really enjoy speaking with Sammie. I feel comfortable opening up and speaking freely about my feelings which is something that I have had a tough time doing in the past. If I could, I would have picked all of the above for the traits that stand out.
March 3, 2025
She is warm, sweet and comforting to talk to. Very prompt with her appointments. I would definitely recommend her