Biography
Hi, My name is Samantha Wielgopolski, M.S., LPC, NCC, and I have been in practice since 2019. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor. I am also a Nationally Certified Counselor and a member of the American Counseling Association.
Who Is Samantha?
Self-care is so important for both clients and clinicians. I am an avid scrapbooker and I enjoy learning to make new craft items with my Cricut. I enjoy exercise, organization, and I am a huge Grey’s Anatomy fan. Most importantly, I am a mother and parenting brings me so much joy and fulfillment.
About Therapy
My philosophy for trauma treatment includes creating a safe, inclusive environment for each individual. I find resiliency and support to be key components to recovery, along with the use of positive coping skills, regulation techniques, and psycho-education. The way I view trauma is not linear, but more on a spectrum of wellness. I often utilize Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory with clients, stating that we cannot become our best selves, fully well, without first meeting our basic needs including safety. Trauma is the result of lack of safety, therefore, starting at the bottom of the hierarchy and moving towards the top, wellness, is the foundation of my philosophy. Recovery is essentially becoming the best version of you. Additionally, I am certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which is the only empirically validated trauma therapy for children.
I think recovery looks different for each individual and depends on the goals that individual would like to achieve. Recovery encompasses self-awareness, introspection, and sitting with uncomfortable emotions- allowing your emotions to be felt, processed, and validated.