Picture of Samantha Rae inviting you a driven woman to trust yourself

meet samantha

It’s time to trust yourself.

I’m a licensed psychologist specializing in anxiety, OCD, and perfectionism. I help driven women move from deep self-awareness to actually trusting themselves, so the constant second-guessing fades into the background.

teach me your ways

here’s the thing:

You’re allowed to move forward without being 100% certain.

If you want to break unhelpful patterns, you kinda have to. Change happens by doing.

You’ve done the self-reflective work of getting to know yourself. You’ve spent countless hours in your mind, in books, and on social media, asking the hard questions. Why do I get in my own way? Was it my childhood? Will my nervous system ever be “regulated”? But knowing up here (points to head) is different than knowing in here (points to heart).

Our work starts with a baby step of faith, and it builds into consistent actions. Like resisting the urge to check if the stove is off, and finding out the urge goes away on its own. Or having a difficult interaction, and instead of replaying it in your head, reminding yourself you’re doing your best. Clients light up telling me how proud they are that they resisted checking, or how empowered they feel when they realize they can choose not to ruminate.

How do we get there? A structured plan and accountability between sessions, built right into your client portal. And full permission to be human in this space. When life happens, we don’t dwell on what didn’t go well. We use it as data, tweak the plan, and try again.

Samantha Rae sharing tools to get unstuck from anxiety ocd and perfectionism

easier said than done, right?

I’ll hand you the tools to shift from overthinking to doing.

My favorite feedback from clients is, “you’re the first therapist who’s actually helped me.” Yes, it’s a nice ego boost. But also, it tells me I’ve listened well enough to get to the root of the problem, and I taught them things that made a practical difference. This is what I strive to do for every client who sits in front of me.

Now that I’m in my second decade of doing this work, I have a keen sense of how anxiety, OCD, and perfectionism operate, and what to do to disarm them.

I don’t see you or your brain as a problem to fix. It’s more like a good car with a working engine that’s stuck in the mud. I’ll give you the wedge to put in front of your tires to find your way out. Sometimes it’s an unexpected response—“well, that would suck!”—that loosens the anxiety just enough to choose what you want to do next.

That’s what I mean by doing, and that’s why this space feels different than other approaches you might have encountered. Maybe you’ve tried the poke-holes-in-it method (what evidence is there for this?) or the good old cover-it-up (try this breathing technique). I’m not going to refute your anxieties and worries; that just digs the tires deeper. We’re going to get you unstuck.

My promise to
you: full presence.

01 attentive

I carry a small caseload on purpose. I prioritize being really present in sessions and I think about what we discuss after. Sometimes I’ll even send a short summary with further reflections, or a meme that feels relevant mid-week.

02 engaging

I actively listen when you’re sharing, and I will also ask to press pause if I notice something working against your goals. Like if you start ruminating out loud, I’ll point out your choice: do you want to continue down this path?

03 compassionate

Clients continually tell me how non-judgmental this space feels, and how different it is from other relationships, including their relationship with self. It’s because I really do assume the best in you, and want the best for you.

04 playful

Anxiety work can get heavy, and I don’t think it has to stay that way. I bring a lightness into sessions. I’ve been known to accidentally sing a sentence out loud mid-thought. The sillier you’re willing to get, the more I’ll meet you there.

Samantha Rae reading a book about therapy for anxiety OCD and perfectionism

let’s talk about why you’re here:

OCD

Anxiety

Perfectionism

My background

  • Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD, Certificate of Completion, Behavior Therapy Training Institute (BTTI), International IOCD Foundation (IOCDF)

    Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for OCD Introductory Online Course, Certificate of Completion, Massachusetts General Hospital

    ACT for Depression and Anxiety Disorders, Certificate of Completion, Psychwire

    ACT for Perfectionism and People Pleasing, Certificate of Completion, Psychwire

    Postdoctoral Internship at Re-New Psychological Services, provided psychotherapy to high-achieving professionals (physicians, attorneys, directors, consultants)

    Predoctoral Internship at The College of William and Mary, provided psychotherapy to gifted undergraduate, graduate, and law students

  • PSYPACT, Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT)

    Licensed Psychologist (PY10106) in Florida

    PsyD, Clinical Psychology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 2016

    MA, Clinical Psychology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 2012

    BS, Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, 2009

  • APA, American Psychological Association

    IOCDF, International OCD Foundation

You have always been worthy of self-trust.

I want to act like it

Let's break unhelpful patterns

Let's break unhelpful patterns