Discovering Inner Peace with Acadian Health Center

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Samantha (Sam) Long is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Virginia, is a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC), and is awaiting credentials for the registered play therapist (RPT) credential and the certified clinical trauma professional (CCTP). Sam has received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Missouri Western State University and a Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling with a specialization of children and adolescents from Northwestern University and is currently working towards her PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision at The George Washington University. Sam has been in clinical practice since 2017.  

Sam has had the opportunity to work in a residential treatment facility and outpatient mental health group practices in Iowa and Virginia. Sam has been fortunate to work with and alongside a wide variety of clinical experiences experienced by children, adolescents, and adults, and throughout those experiences, found her passion: working with children. Sam utilizes play therapy, specifically a Child-Centered lens and utilizes expressive arts as the main modalities to treat children.  

As a counselor, Sam emphasizes the importance of child development, brain development, culturally appropriate practices, and works through the lens that play is the natural language of children. Sam specializes working with children ages 4-12 years old and has experience working with common emotional and behavioral issues, anxiety, adjustment-related struggles, attachment, and trauma-related concerns. Sam believes in the power of the therapeutic relationship and values a collaborative approach which includes working with caregivers.  

Sam’s research focuses on adverse childhood experiences and the efficacy of child-centered therapies and the importance of school counselor and school nurse collaborations to combat the mental health crisis in schools. Sam is an adjunct professor at The George Washington University and has taught courses on Counseling Interview Skills, Trauma and Crisis Intervention, and Child and Adolescent Development. Sam is a regional leader of the Northen Virginia chapter of the Virginia Association for Play Therapy and an Emerging Leader for the Association for Child and Adolescent Counseling (ACAC).