Samantha Edwards
Samantha E. Edwards, MA, LPC (she/her/hers)
Have you ever felt like most days, it’s very hard to be a human?
There are definitely moments in our life that hold joy, awe and wonder, and gratitude; AND all too often these moments are juxtaposed with days, weeks, and even longer seasons of pain, disappointment, anger, grief, apathy, and confusion.
If any of these experiences resonate with you, I’m right there with you fellow Person!
The gift of therapy has changed my life in innumerable ways; so now practicing as a therapist, I work from a highly relational, person-centered, strengths-based, playful, attachment-centered lens. I love working with adults, young adults & college students, teenagers, pre-teens, and children.
I most enjoy tailoring our sessions, like a fine-tuned “recipe”, to meet your unique goals, interests, and personality traits. To do this, my “recipe” starts with overflowing ‘cups’ of empathy, compassion, kindness, and humor when appropriate. I firmly believe that levity, humor, and play have a magic-like ability to quickly connect us, disarm our defenses, and grant us the perspective to zoom out, reframe, and feel safer with another.
My “recipes” may include traditional talk-therapy; but I also love to incorporate creative elements, expressive arts, sand, games, stories, movement, and other therapeutic strategies if “sitting and talking” isn’t your vibe.
I specialize in areas including: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD); Depression; Anxiety; Trauma and PTSD; ADHD & Emotion Regulation; Attachment and Relationship Repair; Grief and Loss; Parent Coaching; Conflict Resolution; and Career Counseling. I provide safe and Affirming support and advocacy for folks in the LGBTQIA+ community who may be seeking help for issues related to gender identity, expression, and sexuality.
I’ve also received extensive training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR); Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP); Sandtray Therapy; Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT); Gestalt Play Therapy; Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT); Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for Couples and Families; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT); and Attachment-Based Family Therapy (ABFT).
The educational journey that’s brought me here stems from Arcadia University, where I received an M.A. in Counseling (Trauma, Child & Family concentrations) and an M.A. in International Peace & Conflict Resolution; and Grove City College, where I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Studies and French. I also have over a decade of prior work experience in corporate marketing, program management, and career counseling. I’m the biggest fan of career changers, because I am one!
Outside of the therapy space, I love to travel and I have a lifetime goal to visit all major continents (I’m coming for you, Antarctica!). I also enjoy singing, musical theatre, spending time with family & friends, and keeping up with my energetic bernedoodle, Gilbert.
It would be my sincere honor to be invited into your life. As such, I feel that you deserve some commitments from me:
- I will listen without judgment.
- I will guide you, following your pace, as you get to know yourself better.
- I will hold hope for and with you on the days when it feels like that’s impossible.
- I will offer an environment where you are free to be yourself, where creativity is welcomed, and where doing hard things is celebrated.
- I will collaborate with you as YOU figure out how to problem-solve, how to restore & strengthen your relationships, and how to cultivate a renewed sense of confidence and purpose in your life.
Nobody deserves to struggle alone; so I welcome you, all Parts of you, to reach out if you’d like to bring me onto your team.
Let’s get cooking!*
*Please note: Sam holds no actual culinary nor baking skills. She is actually afraid of ovens and most appliances. Any aforementioned ‘cooking’ will be provisioned strictly on a therapeutic basis!
Expertise:
- Children, Pre-Teen, Teens, Young Adults, Adults, and Families
- LGBTQIA+ affirming
- Play Therapy
- Anxiety
- Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Depression
- ADHD and Executive Functioning
- Emotion Regulation
- Social Skills
- Career Counseling
- Young adult therapy
- Life changes/Transitions
- PTSD and Trauma
- Grief and Loss
- Expressive art therapies
- Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for couples and families (EFFT)
- Conflict Resolution and Mediation
NJ License: 37PC01042600
DE License*: MI-0000190 (*Telehealth only)
Fee: $165 for a 45-50 minute session ($200 for the initial appointment)
Locations: 66 N. Main St. (Medford, NJ) — and Virtual