Jeff Samanen Psychotherapy, LCSW

After noticing dysfunctional patterns of communication around me when I was younger, I was drawn to study psychology in college. I was interested in finding out what led to these conflicts and discovering how we can stop the patterns, including negative thought patterns, that so many of us get locked in. First as a music therapist and now as a licensed clinical social worker, I have been working for over 20 years, helping people be their best selves, break any harmful patterns, and find peace with their past.

It takes courage and strength to enter therapy and, when you do, it is important to find a good match with your therapist. As a seasoned practitioner, I use holistic strategies that include mindfulness and meditation while also pulling from cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy. I believe in a humanistic approach where I treat you as a human being, not as a number or a diagnosis. Sessions with me will be a conversation and I will be myself in our sessions. At times, I might make you laugh; when we are talking about hard things, you might cry. But this will always be toward the goal of helping you reach a better, stronger place.

I believe there is good in all people, and I believe that conflict very often stems from miscommunication. We will look not just at how others have impacted your life but also at any assumptions that perhaps made you interpret a situation in a way that might not have been accurate. Through that, we can start to heal.

I am very excited about the explosion of telehealth allowing people to be where they feel comfortable while they get the help they need. Gone are the days of having to be in someone’s office, which may or may not feel comfortable. Clients can be in their living rooms in the safety of their homes. Don’t lie down on my couch; sit on your couch. I think this is a great step forward.