MEET
Sam
Sam Merrill, MA, APC, NCC
(she/her/hers)
Licensed Associate Professional Counselor
SPECIALIZATIONS
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Individuals 18+
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Relational Issues
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Young Adults
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Anxiety
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Therapeutic approaches: EMDR, Internal Family Systems, Trauma and Attachment-Informed Care, and Somatic Interventions
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EMDR Trained, Prepare-Enrich Certified, and trained through Postpartum Support International for perinatal populations
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Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Richmont Graduate University, 2024
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Bachelor of Science in Child and Family Studies & Psychology, University of Tennessee
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Under direct supervision with Deanna Davis, LMFT, LPC, ACS, AAMFT-S, SEP (GA # 011625) and Kim DeRamus Lareau, LPC, CPCS (GA #LPC007839)
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Under direction with Kim D Lareau, LPC, CPCS
I help women navigate the "heavy" seasons—whether that’s healing from past trauma, navigating the overwhelm of motherhood, or processing relational wounds and grief. My goal is to be a soft landing for you. I don’t just want to help you find better coping strategies; I want to help you create a life where you feel safe, seen, and whole. Together, in a space where your story is held with the utmost care, your 'unfelt' emotions can finally have the space to breathe and you can learn to move your nervous system from living in survival mode to being fully present.
As a fellow mama, I am particularly passionate about walking alongside women through the complexities of postpartum and motherhood. Therapy is a space where you get to be the one who is seen and tended to. So many moms learn to push through the weight of experiences that they thought they’d moved past—until the overwhelm of parenting brings it all to the surface.. My work with moms uses trauma-informed methods to help us get to the root of your wounds, whether they’re recent like birth trauma or long-buried from childhood, so you can fully show up in the present and be the mom and person you desire to be.
In working with me, you will be met with a gentle, curious, and steady presence. My approach is rooted in attachment theory, which helps us understand how your earliest relational bonds shaped the way you show up today. We will look at the survival strategies you’ve leaned on in love, friendship, and even in your relationship with yourself. I also integrate EMDR and Parts Work: EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) targets the physiological roots of distress to provide relief from past triggers, and Parts Work invites us to bring compassion to the various 'versions' of yourself that have navigated life’s challenges. This integrated approach ensures that healing isn't just something you talk about, but something you feel deeply in your nervous system.
Because my faith is integral to my own story, I also find it a great honor to provide a safe space for others to process their own spiritual journeys—whether that involves deconstructing beliefs from childhood, healing from spiritual abuse, or rebuilding a foundation that feels safe and authentic to you. I have specialized training for integrating faith and spirituality into counseling if desired, but regardless of where you are on that path, I am here to hold that space with you.
“If we are brave enough to walk into the places of pain and uncertainty, with courage and company, we will find that there is always something there waiting for us. It may be our healing, it may be wisdom, it may be freedom, it may be a reclaiming of a truth that we thought was taken but has been here all along.”
