Samantha Southard (She/Her/Hers)

Hi there! My name is Samantha, aka The Blonde Therapist, and I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor based in New York. I believe in challenging the notion of a "blank slate therapist, and encompass my own personality into my role as a therapist. My practice, Waves of Wellness Mental Health Counseling, offers virtual sessions to clients based in NY and offers in-person sessions on Staten Island, NY.

As a therapist, I often meet people who are exhausted from trying to be everything for everyone, who feel like they’re “not enough” no matter how hard they try, or who feel like they’re drowning in their thoughts and emotions. Sound familiar? I’ve had to learn how to swim against the current and navigate harsh waves too.

Therapy with me isn’t about fixing you — because I don’t believe you’re broken. It’s about creating a safe space to unlearn the behaviors that keep you stuck, to rebuild your relationship with yourself, and to reclaim your worth — gently and at your own pace. We’ll talk, cry, reflect, laugh (yes, even in therapy!), and explore together. We’ll go where you’re ready to go.

As a woman, I also understand the invisible pressures many of us carry — to be nice, to be perfect, to never ask for too much. Working with a female clinician like myself can offer you a space of shared understanding — one where you don’t have to explain what it means to carry that weight. I get it and I’m here to help you let it go.

I believe in hollistically treating my clients and strive to add them in becoming the best versions of themselves, while encompassing self-love and self-compassion throughout their journey in counseling. I enjoy working with teens, young adults, and adult women who struggle with anxiety, trauma, perfectionism, relationship issues, and people-pleasing tendencies. I I weave together holistic and trauma-informed approaches like Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Internal Family Systems, Sand Tray Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, inner child work, attachment styles, and parts exploration into my work.