Samantha Stahl
MS, NCC, LAPC | Therapist
she / her
At the heart of everything I do is a deep belief in the power of human connection. I've always been moved by what becomes possible when someone feels truly seen, heard, and understood, without judgment. There's something profoundly meaningful about sitting with another person in their most vulnerable moments and offering a space that feels steady and safe. What continues to fuel my passion is witnessing someone begin to understand themselves with greater clarity, and then use that understanding to make empowered choices. Watching that shift from self-doubt to self-trust is, to me, one of the most powerful things I get to be part of.
I approach therapy with curiosity, humility, and genuine presence. I don't do the โblank-slateโ approachโI'm fully present, emotionally engaged, and ready to challenge and clarify alongside you. Therapy with me is dynamic, honest, and relational: a place where depth and real connection drive meaningful change.
I believe you are the expert of your own life, and my role is to help you access your strengths, deepen your insight, and build the confidence to make choices that feel aligned with who you truly are. I also want you to know: I don't just notice your progressโI celebrate it. When you reach a goal, face a fear, or show up differently in a hard moment, I'll make sure you know it was seen.
My approach is grounded in empowerment and collaboration, and I work from a holistic lenseโrecognizing that you are shaped by many interconnected factors: emotional, relational, cultural, physical, and environmental. At the same time, I value being practical and flexible. Insight is powerful, but I also want you to leave each session with tools you can actually use. I tailor my approach to your individual needs rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all model, and I adapt as you grow and as your goals evolve. Authenticity is central to how I show up. I aim to be genuine, transparent, and human in the room, fostering a relationship built on trust and mutual respect.
One of the quotes that most deeply resonates with me as a therapist comes from psychotherapist Frank Anderson:
"Being witnessedโtruly seen and felt by anotherโcan start to heal what disconnection created. When someone stays present with your pain, your brain begins to come back online. Your nervous system softens. Your body stops bracing. Because what was broken in relationship must be mended in relationship."
I carry those words into every session.
LANGUAGES SPOKEN
English
THERAPY APPROACHES
Person-Centered
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Eclectic
Mindfulness-Based
Acceptance & Commitment (ACT)
IN THE THERAPY ROOM
Empowering
Holistic
Practical
Context-Aware
Flexible
YOU CAN FIND ME
Fueled by a little too much caffeine, embracing the joyful chaos of raising three children with my husband, and carving out time for friends and self-care โ often indulging in a good skincare routine to reset and recharge.
IโM ALL ABOUT
Personal boundaries & respect, amazing food & snacks, warm weather & sunshine, shows & documentaries, and live music
Clinician Details
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Aetna
Anthem
BCBS PPO Plans
Capital Blue Cross
Geisinger
Highmark
Independence Blue Cross (IBX) PPO Plans
Insurance credentialing for the below panels is in progress:
UPMC
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$115 (53-minute session)
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Telehealth
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Individual Therapy
Relationship Therapy
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Children (6-10)
Preteens / Tweens (11-13)
Adolescents / Teens (14-18)
Adults (18+)
Specialties
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I want to start by acknowledging something: you may be experiencing some level of anxiety right now, just by reading thisโseeking and vetting a therapist is an important decision, and that uncertainty makes sense. I validate that anxiety can feel overwhelming and significantly affect many areas of your life: your sense of self, your ability to be present and make aligned decisions, your relationships, your productivity, your goals, and your overall quality of life. To help ease some of that uncertainty and empower you to make an informed choice, here's what you can expect if you choose to work with me. I prioritize collaboration and client choiceโI never push clients toward a particular approach if it doesn't feel right for them. Together, we'll explore strategies that fit your needs, your preferences, and your goals.
I understand anxiety as a natural survival responseโyour body's alarm systemโthough sometimes this system becomes overactive. In our work together, we may explore what your anxiety is trying to protect you from, identify the beliefs and patterns that keep it activated, strengthen your capacity to tolerate uncertainty and discomfort, and rebuild trust in yourself and your nervous system. We might also reframe anxiety as a signal that you care deeplyโa marker of sensitivity and awareness, and energy that, when regulated, can fuel preparation, motivation, and growth. Our work isn't about eliminating anxiety completely. It's about transforming your relationship with it so it no longer runs the show.
My approach is eclectic and evidence-based, with Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) as a foundation, as well as mindfulness to help you respond rather than react, distress tolerance to cope with difficult emotions without making them worse, emotional regulation to identify and shift unhelpful patterns, and interpersonal effectiveness to communicate clearly and set boundaries even when anxiety arises. These skills provide concrete tools you can apply in daily life, helping you feel more grounded, more in control, and better able to navigate uncertainty. I also want you to know that I understand anxiety and its treatment are not one-size-fits-all. Because of that, I am currently in the process of becoming a Certified DBT (C-DBT) practitioner, continually deepening my skills to best support you.
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If you're coming to me for support around infertility, pregnancy, or postpartum challenges, I want you to know that you won't have to explain why this is hard. I show up in this work with steadiness, warmth, and genuine empathyโand I bring my own lived experience navigating postpartum mental health challenges, which allows me to hold space for the full complexity of this season without judgment.
The grief and the gratitude. The love and the overwhelm. The hope and the fear. All of it is welcome here.
You can expect me to be compassionate and grounded, honest and collaborative, and we will always move at your pace. I also want to name clearly: postpartum mental health is not gender-specific and does not affect only the birthing parent. Partners, adoptive parents, single parents, and nonbinary parents experience these challenges too. Whatever your family looks like, your identity and lived experience will be deeply respected and affirmed in our work together.
I view infertility and the perinatal and postpartum period not as individual failures, but as profound experiences that touch every part of who you areโyour identity, your relationships, your body, and your sense of self. Whether you're navigating fertility treatments, pregnancy loss, birth trauma, postpartum anxiety, depression, rage, or simply the disorientation of becoming a parent, these experiences deserve specialized, attuned careโnot minimization. You are not too sensitive. You are not overreacting. What you are carrying is real, and it deserves to be treated that way.
My approach in this work frequently centers Interpersonal Therapy (IPT)โa framework particularly well-suited to infertility and perinatal concerns because it focuses on relationships, role transitions, grief, and communication. Together we may work on expressing your needs clearly, navigating the shift from partner to parent or individual to co-parent, processing grief from loss or unmet expectations, and addressing relational conflict in a structured and supportive way. Alongside IPT, I draw on CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) to address anxious or self-defeating thought patterns, ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) to strengthen psychological flexibility, mindfulness-based approaches for nervous system regulation, trauma-informed care when reproductive experiences feel overwhelming, and attachment-focused work to support bonding and relational shifts.
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I understand that life is ever-evolving, and for many people, navigating uncertainty and change can feel overwhelming and isolating, especially when you're trying to do it alone. Whether you're considering a career change, adjusting to a move, becoming a parent, ending or beginning a relationship, experiencing grief or loss, or redefining your identity and purpose, you don't have to move through it alone. In our work together, you can expect me to show up as collaborative and genuinely curious about your lived experience. Itโs important to me that I create a space that feels safe, affirming, and nonjudgmentalโone that makes room for the full range of what transitions bring up: the self-doubt and the excitement, the grief and the hopeโฆ sometimes all at once. We'll lean into your strengths, build upon your insight, and help you develop tools to move through change with greater clarity and confidence.
I approach life transitions not as problems to be fixed, but as meaningful developmental milestones. Even when they feel destabilizing, transitions often hold real opportunities for growth, realignment, and deeper self-understanding. My role isn't to rush you through the discomfortโit's to help you slow down enough to reflect, process, and make intentional choices that align with your values and the life you want to create.
You already carry more resilience and insight than you may even realize right now, and part of our work together is helping you see and trust that.
I draw from evidence-based approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to explore unhelpful thought patterns, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to clarify values and build psychological flexibility, and strengths-based and person-centered frameworks to keep our work collaborative and empowering. I also integrate mindfulness techniques and solution-focused strategies to build practical coping skills while keeping you connected to your long-term goals. When appropriate, I may also incorporate career and interest assessment tools into our work. These tools offer structured insight into your strengths, preferences, and values, and can be especially helpful during periods of professional transition or identity exploration, where having a clearer picture of yourself supports more informed decision-making and confidence in your next steps.
