Psychotherapy

  • Do you want to get more enjoyment out of life?
  • Would you like to remain calm in the face of life’s challenges?
  • Do you long to be free of anxiety, fears or phobias?
  • Would developing anger management skills make your life better?
  • Would you like to enjoy greater self-esteem and personal confidence?

I can help you

With skills and expertise developed over 40 years as a psychologist, I provide effective treatment for anxiety, depression and phobias. I can help you learn to manage your stress so that you get more out of life. If anger is causing problems for you, you can learn to handle things better, and improve your relationships.

My clients come to me focused on their problems – what’s not working for them. I help you discover and implement the solutions you can use to make your life different and better. As you make these positive changes in your life, you enjoy greater self-esteem and confidence.

You benefit from individualized psychotherapy based on your unique needs.

Solution Focused Psychotherapy

I am very solution focused in the psychotherapy I provide to help you transform your life for the better. My clients learn to focus on what they can do or think differently to improve their lives.

Through this powerful and effective process, you learn to make choices that transform anxiety, depression and old, maladaptive patterns of behavior into habits that work for you.

As you focus on your successes, you become an expert in the solutions. Your self-esteem and personal confidence blossom.

Click here to learn more about Solution Focused Psychotherapy

Treatment of Anxiety and Depression

Anxiety or depression can ruin your life.  It doesn’t have to be that way!

Most people who seek psychotherapy suffer from anxiety and/or depression.  Finding a sympathetic, supportive person who will listen to you and understand really helps.  Together we explore what you can do differently to make your life better.

When necessary, we look into the past experiences that led to your current problems with the goal of learning, healing and growth.  This empowers you to transform any maladaptive patterns of thinking or behavior created by those early events.

Treatment of Fear and Phobias

Fears and phobias can keep you from doing what you want (or need) to do. It doesn’t have to be that way!

I work very successfully with anxieties and phobias, such as fear of flying, public speaking anxiety, and social anxiety. I draw on several approaches to design the program that’s just right for you:

  • Cognitive behavior therapy – you learn to identify the underlying thoughts that create anxiety and replace them with more rational beliefs that lead to calm and mastery
  • Desensitization –you learn to associate the anxiety provoking experience with calm, peaceful feelings.  This work generalizes to real life. You find that you can comfortably and effectively engage in activities that once caused anxiety and fear.
  • Interactive Imagery – using Interactive Imagery you can return to any traumatic event in your past that created the anxiety and create the healing that leads to remission of the phobia.

Treatment of Panic Attacks

Panic attacks can make you a prisoner of your own anxiety. It doesn’t have to be that way!

You learn simple effective techniques to deal with panic symptoms and prevent a full blown panic attack from developing. Addressing both the physical symptoms of panic and the accompanying anxiety producing thoughts, you develop confidence in your ability to handle situations you once avoided. As you learn to master your panic, the frequency and intensity of panic attacks subsides until panic is no longer a problem.

Anger Management

Uncontrolled anger can destroy your personal and professional relationships. It doesn’t have to be that way!

I work with my clients to effectively manage their anger. You will

  • Learn the underlying physiology of anger, and techniques you can use to calm yourself when your anger gets triggered.
  • Identify the thoughts that trigger problematic responses and learn to substitute thoughts that empower you to remain calm and respond appropriately
  • Learn to make winning choices so you never need to feel embarrassed by angry outbursts again.

Stress Management

When you’re overwhelmed by stress, you can’t enjoy life. It doesn’t have to be that way!

I help my clients learn to effectively manage their stress. You will

  • Clarify the sources of stress in your life, both external and internal
  • Identify how you can reduce the external stressors in your life
  • Substitute positive patterns of thinking for the belief systems that create stress
  • Develop effective stress management habits

Interactive Imagery

I believe that my most important role as a psychologist is to help my clients learn to access their inner wisdom to achieve learning, healing and growth. Finding that the solutions come from your own inner knowing helps you develop self-esteem and confidence easily perceived by those around you.

Interactive Imagery is the most powerful, effective and efficient way to access this inner wisdom. Interactive Imagery is a deeply spiritual practice and has been my personal path of healing, learning and growth.

Click here to learn more about Interactive imagery

Testimonials

I have been in therapy several other times in my life. In the two months I have been working with Qatana, I have experienced more positive change in my life than I did working for years with previous therapists. I am so glad that I found Qatana.

Jennifer Y.

Qatana has been a pivotal person in my life. The work that we have done with guided imagery has changed my life dramatically and permanently. I have never experienced anything so amazing and truly powerful. Qatana has guided me through these journeys with compassion, patience, good intuition and devotion. Qatana is wonderful to work with. She believes in what she does. She is the best.

Tony F.

The work that Qatana Samanen does is incredibly powerful.  I was able to learn much more about myself that I had in the past with traditional talk therapy. I carry the wisdoms I learned through this work with me and continue to connect with my inner wisdom in my own meditation practice. I am eternally grateful to Qatana and the work we accomplished together.

Natalie C.

A close friend recommended Dr. Qatana Samanen to me. This
friend was immensely helped by Dr. Samanen; thus, I became a believer
in her abilities. Now, several months after my initial meeting with Dr.
Samanen, I’ve been given many “tools” necessary to help me manage my acute anxiety. While at times I still feel overwhelmed, I understand
the triggers and how best to deal with my reactions.

Don F.

No matter how big or small the issue, Qatana Samanen is the therapist for the job. Qatana aligned my heart, my soul and my mind to get me through my journey. Her tools were her compassion, her calming presence and her forthrightness. I would recommend and have recommended her to anyone.

Karen C.