Samantha DiMeglio, Psy.D.
Three areas of focus: anxiety and depression treated with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, trauma and PTSD, and gender-affirming care. Trained in ACT with Steven Hayes, Ph.D., who originated it, in the full slate of evidence-based trauma therapies (EMDR, Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE), Cognitive Processing Therapy, STAIR, and Contextual Trauma Therapy), and in gender-affirming surgery assessments and letters of support. DBT throughout, for when the nervous system needs steadying first.
Book a free 15-min consult with Samantha
Three kinds of work, one way of doing it.
My work centers on trauma and the patterns that grow up around it. For many of the people I see, trauma travels with emotion dysregulation, eating disorder behaviors, chronic illness, and relationship patterns that began as a way to survive and outstayed their usefulness. DBT is often the steady ground that makes the deeper work possible. I am trained to hold all of those layers at once.
I draw on the full set of evidence-based trauma therapies (EMDR, Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE), Cognitive Processing Therapy, STAIR, and Contextual Trauma Therapy), and I match the modality to what your nervous system is asking for. For clients whose distress feels too big to sit with long enough to process, DBT skills are the layer that makes deeper trauma work possible.
I trained for four years at the Center for Motivation and Change in New York, where I developed deep expertise in trauma assessment and treatment. I am also trained in gender-affirming surgery assessments and writing letters of support, and I bring careful attention to identity, relational patterns, and the long shadow of early experiences.
Not everyone who comes to me is working on trauma. For anxiety and depression I also offer Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which I trained in with Steven Hayes, Ph.D., the psychologist who originated it. ACT tends to suit people who have already spent a long time trying to reason their way out of a feeling and are still stuck with it.
Rather than examining whether an anxious thought is accurate, we work on how much say it gets in what you actually do, and then get specific about the life you want to be building while the difficult feeling is still around. It is a different route from CBT rather than a version of it, and on a consult call I am happy to talk through which one fits what you have already tried.
How I work with clients.
Areas where I have built deep expertise through extensive training, supervision, and direct clinical practice. Where a specialty has its own dedicated page, the link will take you to the approach and what to expect.
Trained with the psychologist who originated it
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, trained with Steven Hayes, Ph.D. For anxiety and depression where analysing the thought has not helped, we work on loosening its hold and acting on what matters anyway. A different route from CBT, not a version of it.
More on ACTAll five major evidence-based trauma therapies
EMDR, Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE), Cognitive Processing Therapy, STAIR, and Contextual Trauma Therapy. CAPS-5 trained for thorough PTSD assessment. I match the modality to what your nervous system is asking for.
More on trauma therapyAffirming care and surgery letters
Trained in gender-affirming surgery assessments and writing letters of support. Affirming, trauma-informed care for trans and gender-expansive clients, including identity-based trauma.
More on gender-affirming care More on LGBTQIA+ affirming therapyThe only clinician here who offers it
Steven Gold's CTT model, for complex trauma where the events are only half the picture and childhood developmental deprivation is the other. Unlike the structured protocols, it is not manualized: the plan is built around your history, and you are treated as the expert on your own life.
The skills that make deeper work possible
Years of DBT group facilitation and individual work, with training across emotion regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and mindfulness. For clients whose distress feels overwhelming, DBT is the foundation that real trauma work needs.
More on DBTCAPS-5 and integrative treatment planning
Trained and supervised in CAPS-5 PTSD assessment and biopsychosocial evaluation. The goal is a clear, accurate picture of what you are working with so the treatment plan actually fits the person in front of me.
Built on rigorous, continuing education.
Education
- Nova Southeastern University, FLDoctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) in Clinical Psychology. APA-accredited program.
- Nova Southeastern University, FLMaster of Science in Clinical Psychology. APA-accredited.
- William Paterson University, NJBachelor of Arts in Psychology, minor in Health Studies. Cognitive Science Honors Track.
Trauma-specific training
- EMDR Basic Training44.25 hours with Deany Laliotis, LICSW. The Center for Excellence in EMDR Therapy.
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for PTSDTwo-day intensive workshop with Christina DiChiara, Psy.D. Cognitive Behavior Institute.
- Prolonged Exposure (PE) for PTSD19.5-hour virtual workshop with David Yusko, Psy.D., Steven Tsao, Ph.D., and Christina DiChiara, Psy.D. Center for Anxiety & Behavior Therapy.
- CAPS-5 PTSD AssessmentTrained and supervised at the Center for Motivation and Change.
DBT & affirming care
- DBT group facilitationMulti-year experience co-facilitating DBT groups across clinical training sites, with focused work on emotion regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and mindfulness.
- Gender-Affirming Surgery Assessments & Letters of SupportWith Ari Kramer, Psy.D. San Diego State University with Empowering Therapy and Consulting.
- Telepsychology TrainingUnderstanding Telepsychology Webinar with Jonathan Perl, Ph.D., ABPP. Nova Southeastern University.
Clinical experience
- Center for Motivation and Change, NYStaff Clinician, Postdoctoral Fellow, and Clinical Extern across four years of trauma and PTSD treatment.
- San Diego State University CAPSAPPIC-approved Predoctoral Internship. Short-term individual and group therapy with affirmative, strengths-based, trauma-informed interventions.
- Nova Southeastern University Psychology Services CenterGraduate Student Clinician with mood and anxiety disorders, eating disorders, complex trauma, and life-cycle transitions. DBT group co-facilitation.
Ready to begin? Let's talk.
Schedule a free 15-minute consultation with me. We will talk through what you are working on and figure out together whether we are the right fit.