I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over seven years of experience working with children, teens, and parents. "Enter into children's play and you will find the place where their minds, hearts, and souls meet." -Virginia Axline. I specialize in Child-Centered Play Therapy, a developmentally appropriate treatment modality for children that utilizes their natural mode of communication, play. I also utilize Expressive Arts, Family Systems, Strength-Based, and CBT.
I work primarily with children, teens, and young adults experiencing stress and anxiety, executive functioning deficits, identity confusion, mood disorders, grief and loss, and life adjustment challenges (i.e. separation/divorce). By providing a safe, non-judgmental environment, clients can effectively express, explore, and process their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. I believe every client is equipped with a unique set of strengths and skills that can help them overcome adversity. By helping clients rework negative perceptions of events in their lives or of themselves, clients can move to a more regulated state.

I'm a Brazilian-Korean-American Licensed Professional Counselor and National Certified Counselor. My academic background includes a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Georgia State University. Fulfilling my lifelong dream of becoming a therapist, I have a profound belief in the transformative power of psychotherapy. Despite the effort it demands, the path is unquestionably rewarding. I place my confidence in the inherent strength within every client, fostering transformation from the inside out. I value honesty, compassion, authenticity, inclusivity, growth, and I approach my work with professionalism and care.

My goal is not to 'fix' your problems or talk you out of your emotions; instead, I'll guide you in understanding them, helping uncover their root causes for a deeper insight into yourself, your relationships, and behavior patterns. As your therapist, I prioritize creating a warm, non-judgmental space for you to process your experiences, and recognize the intricate layers that contribute to your overall well-being.

I integrate evidence-based approaches such as Psychodynamic, Person-Centered, Somatic, Narrative, Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive-Behavioral, and Mindfulness practices. I am also EMDR trained and fluent in Portuguese. During our sessions, I'll invite you to explore how early experiences may influence your current behavior, consider the body-mind connection, and embrace the possibility of developing new thought patterns and practices for a more balanced life.

I have helped clients experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma and post traumatic stress, racial trauma, grief, perfectionism, self-esteem, relationship/communication issues, and identity exploration. I offer in-person and virtual sessions.

When not counseling, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, playing music, and cooking pasta.

In my 14+ years of counseling, I have worked in recovery programs, with federal inmates, and in private practice. I have experience with individuals of all ages, couples, and families. I love working with teens and young adults but being on anyone's healing journey is an honor and privilege. Having been married for 28 years and having two adult daughters has given me life experience beyond the classroom that I use everyday in sessions. I build rapport and trust easily with clients earning the me the ability to walk alongside them and speak truth, challenge them when needed, and cheer them on towards living their best life. I use a trauma-informed approach and believe wholeheartedly that people can heal and live their life according to their values.

If you’re still struggling to find that inner peace and don’t know what else to do, that’s when I come in. I’m a licensed marriage and family therapist who is passionate about working with those who want to find themselves again – or maybe find themselves for the first time.

If you have one speed and that speed is go-go-go, let me help you slow down and be more present. We can work on turning off that autopilot and take control of your life again.

Together, we will work on all those experiences that were pushed aside, those accomplishments you felt you didn’t deserve, that feeling that life is just passing you by, all the times you powered through because you had no option, yeah, we’ll get into those!

Let’s figure out how to get you where you want to be. Let’s find that inner peace you’ve been searching for.

Together we’ll laugh, talk about the good and the bad, but most of all we will get you to a place where you can feel just a bit lighter than you did before.

Starting therapy can be scary, overwhelming, frustrating, and/or exhausting. There are so much options.. and if you're not a therapist yourself, many of the terms and specialties are new for you and probably don't mean anything yet. If you're not sure what exactly you're looking for, but know you want help and support, you're in the right place. I'll explain the process, walk through what next steps are and work with you along the way to answer questions and make sure what we are doing continues to feel supportive of your needs.

I offer my clients a safe space to explore questions and thoughts that they may not feel comfortable sharing with others. We will look at the feelings that come up for you in difficult situations and also share the wins together. We can keep things in the moment and focus on what's currently happening, or explore how past experiences have shaped you.

Everyone's needs are different, and there is not a one size fits all to therapy. I believe the relationship is the most important part of this process, and with a strong connection to your therapist (hopefully me!) real change and understanding can happen. If you're ready to start, please reach out and we can walk through this together.

I seek to be open and inclusive with each client. I want each person to feel welcomed and understood. I am trained in in-depth psychotherapy and enjoy exploring the deeper roots of presenting problems with a goal of practical application of insight. I am a licensed Clinical Pastoral Therapist & clinical supervisor with over 25 years of counseling experience.

Samantha earned her Master of Health Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Catawba College. She is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor through the NC Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors (#17770) and a Licensed Professional Counselor through the SC Board of Licensed Professional Counselors (#10262). Samantha is also a Certified Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist, a Nationally Certified Counselor, a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, a Certified Addictions-Informed Mental Health Provider, a Certified Sex Offender Treatment Professional, and a Registered Child Forensic Interviewer. Additionally, Samantha is trained in Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy, and Somatic Experiencing.

Samantha has had the opportunity to work with patients with a variety of mental health concerns in school-based, college mental health, and outpatient settings. Her clinical focus is on severe and persistent mental health concerns, with a concentration on mood disorders. Samantha utilizes an integrative approach, combining Cognitive Behavioral, Interpersonal, and Psychoanalytic techniques. Therefore, during sessions, she commonly assists in identifying and challenging self-limiting patterns, healing from past experiences, and gaining insight into how the unconscious influences behavior. Her research interests include the intersection of mental health and the criminal justice system, the development of neurodevelopmental disorders, and genetic links between schizophrenia and associated comorbid conditions.

Courtney Baggs is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Board Certified Music Therapist in Tallahassee Florida. Courtney believes that the most important part of therapy is the client’s empathic relationship with their counselor as well as understanding the client’s strengths and goals. Courtney is passionate about helping clients identify their goals and remove or manage obstacles standing in the way. Courtney has over 4 years of experience working with children, teens and adults from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. She has worked primarily with clients who have a trauma history, relational and family issues, anxiety, and depression. In addition to providing Music Therapy in Tallahassee Florida Courtney has specific training in Trauma- Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Internal Family Systems Theory, and EMDR. She also uses music therapy to provide clients with a safe and creative environment in order to process through personal challenges. Courtney graduated from Colorado Christian University with her Master’s degree in mental health counseling after receiving her bachelors degree in music therapy and psychology from Florida State University. When she is away from the office, Courtney enjoys spending quality time with her family, playing music, staying active, and being outside.

Throughout my career I have worked in forensic settings, community mental health, and private practice. I have experience working with serious mental health, sex addiction, trauma, betrayal, and grief. I am a licensed mental health therapist in the State of Washington. I earned a doctorate Degree in Clinical Psychology from Argosy University in 2018.

Currently, I work with adults who are facing death and non-death losses. Those who are trying to navigate the complexity of relationships and the grief process. I believe we all experience change and loss by virtue of being in this world and in relationships. Transition, loss, and the experience of grief will affect every person through various moment in life. I strive to understand each person’s unique experience with these transitions. At times, these changes and losses are unexpected and can throw us off track or render us feeling hopeless. I have a keen interest in how we construct meaning life, especially in the wake of loss and transition.
I enjoy working with people seeking ways to adapt, thrive, and create meaning within themselves, while coping with losses including death, loss of relationships, illness, and many other life transitions and/or ambiguous losses.

My primary goal in the therapeutic process is to actively assist you in reaching a better understanding of the underlying conflicts and meaning around your situation by helping you gain some objective distance around your concern in relation to your larger context. Self-awareness alone has positive effects. I believe change is possible through this kind of understanding and acceptance of oneself.