Sarah K. Samman, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the masters and doctoral Couple and Family Therapy Programs at Alliant International University. She earned her master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Lewis & Clark College and her post-master’s certificate in Medical Family Therapy and doctoral degree in Marital and Family Therapy from Loma Linda University. She has presented at national and international conferences on issues of internationalism and interculturalism, spirituality, and gender and power in couple and family relationships. Dr. Samman utilizes a bio-psycho-socio-spiritual approach to therapy based on a strong interdisciplinary background and a deep commitment to diversity issues and interpersonal and social justice. She is licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist and is an AAMFT Approved Supervisor.
Dr. Sarah K. Samman's interests include a focus on multiculturalism, gender and power in couple and family relationships, Influences of spirituality and chronic illnesses on couples and families, student clinical/therapeutic and research preparedness; and qualitative research.
PhD; Marital and Family Therapy, Loma Linda University
PMC-MedFT; Medical Family Therapy, Loma Linda University
MA; Marriage, Couple, and Family Therapy, Lewis & Clark College
MS; Psychology, Specialization in Health Psychology, Capella University
BS; Biology and Psychology, University of Oregon
Honors
IMPACT (Inclusion, Mentorship, Passion, Accountability, Communication, and Teamwork) Award (2018), Alliant International University
"ElRoby Saleh, M., Samman, S. K., Dansby Olufowote, R. (2023, under review). Practicing couple therapy in the Middle East: Arab and Muslim related critiques and clinical considerations. In K. Hertlein (Ed.). International Handbook of Couple and Family Therapy. Routledge.
Boykins, B., & Samman, S. K. (2023, in press). Decolonizing higher education through incorporating antiracist pedagogy in doctoral students’ academics, mentorship, and training. In L. Nice & C. Eppler (Ed.). Social Justice and Systemic Family Therapy Training. AFTA Springer. 978-3-031-29929-2
Dansby Olufowote, R. A., Samman, S. K., Frick, H. (2022). Medical family therapy with diverse populations Part II: Understanding and treating interracial and international couples with chronic illness using Emotionally Focused MedFT. Special issue submission to the International Journal of Systemic Therapy. doi:10.1080/2692398X.2022.2125264
Dansby Olufowote, R., Seshadri, G, & Samman, S. K. (2022, May/June). Why your interracial/multinational couples might be dropping out of therapy: A self-of-the-therapist approach to increase retention and a discussion of related factors. Family Therapy Magazine. [Lead Feature].
Mendelsohn, G. & Samman, S. K. (2022, June). Listening circle. AFTA’s 44th Annual Conference. Online.
Samman, S. K., Frick, H., Dansby Olufowote, R. A. (2022). Medical family therapy with diverse populations Part I: Interracial couples navigating infertility, racialized pregnancy, and pregnancy loss. Special issue submission to the International Journal of Systemic Therapy. DOI: 10.1080/2692398X.2022.2128623
Cho, W., Gutierrez, D., Samman, S. K., Lobo, E., & Volini, L. (2021, June). Bridging our present with our histories. Opening Panel. AFTA’s 43rd Annual Meeting & 1st Virtual Conferences. Online Conference.
Samman, S. K. (2021, April). A Socio-emotional approach to gendered power in couple therapy. Workshop. California Association of Marriage & Family Therapists, Sacramento Valley Chapter. Sacramento, CA (virtual).
Samman, S. K. & Esmiol Wilson, E. (2021, June). Coexisting in a multi-epistemological world. Presentation. AFTA’s 43rd Annual Meeting & 1st Virtual Conferences. Online Conference.
Seshadri, G. & Samman, S. K. (2021, March). I don't have to marry my parent: Multi-racial attraction based coupling. Presentation. International Family Therapy Association World Family Therapy Congress (Online).
D'Arrigo‚ÄêPatrick, E., Samman, S. K., Knudson-Martin, C. (2020). Moving from 'I' to 'we': A grounded theory analysis of couple therapy with liver patients and their partners. Family Process, x, 1-13. http://0-dx.doi.org.library.alliant.edu/10.1111/famp.12528
Inacay, T. & Samman, S. K. (October 5, 2019). Intersection of nonbinary gender and Filipinx identity. Poster. Making Waves and Breaking through the Bamboo Ceiling. Asian American Psychological Association [AAPA] Convention, San Diego, CA. [Won Best Poster]
Knudson-Martin, C., ChenFeng, J., Galick, A., Lobo, E., Samman, S. K., & Williams, K. (2018). Transforming gender discourse in couple therapy: Researching intersections of societal discourse, emotion, and interaction. In T. Strong & O. Sutherland (Eds.). Discursive therapies/Discursive research. Palgrave Macmillan.
Moreno, J. M., Samman S. K. (2018). Coalition in structural family therapy. In J. Lebow, A. Chambers, & D. Breunlin (Eds,). Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. Springer, Cham. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15877-8_250-1
Samman, S. K. (2018). Alger, Ian. In J. Lebow, A. Chambers, & D. Breunlin (Eds,). Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. Springer, Cham.
Samman, S. K. (2018). Supporting whole-person health: Socially just application of religion and spirituality in an outpatient care facility for individuals with chronic illnesses. In E. Esmiol Wilson & L. Nice (Eds.), Socially just religious and spiritual interventions: Ethical uses of therapeutic power. AFTA Springer Briefs.
Samman, S. K. (2018, June). Therapeutic activism: Countering the essentialization of Arabs, Muslims, and Middle Easterners. Presentation. AFTA’s 2018 Annual Meeting & Open Conference (Presentation). Austin, TX.
Samman, S. K., & Moreno, J. (2018) Equifinality in family systems theory. In J. Lebow, A. Chambers, & D. Breunlin (Eds,). Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. Springer, Cham. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15877-8_265-1
Samman, S. K., & Seshadri, G. (2018). AAMFT approved supervisor training. In J. Lebow, A. Chambers, & D. Breunlin (Eds,). Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. Springer, Cham. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15877-8_655-1
Urquiza-Mendoza, Y., Devine, J. P., & Samman, S. K. (2018, June). Deconstruction of female orgasmic disorder (Presentation). AFTA’s 2018 Annual Meeting & Open Conference. Austin, TX.
Avila, A., Distelberg, B., Estrada, A., Samman, S. K., Borieux, M., Yektafar, G., & Moline, M. (2016). Developing dyadic evaluation for supervision: An exploratory factor analysis. Contemporary Family Therapy, 1-11. DOI: 10.1007/s10591-016-9388-4
Samman, S. K., & Davis, G. B. (2016, June). Relational Empowerment: Establishing a Foundation to Address Gender and Power. AFTA 2016 Annual Meeting & Open Conference (Presentation). Denver, CO.
Knudson-Martin, C., & Samman, S. K., (2015, June). Empowering Couples to Counter Societal Discourses: Power, Context, and the Social Construction of Emotion. AFTA 2015 Annual Meeting & Open Conference (Presentation). Vancouver, WA.
Knudson-Martin, C., Wells, M., & Samman, S. K. (2015). Engaging power, emotion, and context in couple therapy: Lessons learned. In C. Knudson-Martin, M. Wells, & S. Samman (Eds.), Socio-Emotional relationship therapy: Bridging emotion, societal context, and couple interaction. New York, NY: Springer.
Knudson-Martin, C., Wells, M., & Samman, S. K. (Eds.) (2015). Socio-Emotional relationship therapy: Bridging emotion, societal context, and couple interaction. New York, NY: Springer.
Samman, S. K., & Knudson-Martin, C. (2015). Challenges addressing gender and power in heterosexual couple therapy: Moving disengaged males from 'I' to 'We'. In C. Knudson-Martin, M. Wells, & S. Samman (Eds.), Socio-Emotional relationship therapy: Bridging emotion, societal context, and couple interaction. New York, NY: Springer.
Samman, S. K., & Knudson-Martin, C., (2014, June). Challenges addressing gender and power in heterosexual couple therapy: Moving disengaged males from 'I' to 'We'. AFTA 2014 Annual Meeting & Open Conference (Presentation). Athens, GA
Knudson-Martin, C., Wells, M., & Samman, S. K., (2014, June). Women challenging power in heterosexual couple therapy. AFTA 2014 Annual Meeting & Open Conference (Presentation). Athens, GA.
Samman, S. K., & Parker, A. (2014, March). The impact of demographic categorizations on Middle Easterners: A critical theory analysis. IFTA 22nd World Congress (Presentation). Panama City, Panama.
Shariff, E. M, Sinha, S, Samman, S. K., ElBakri, N. K., Siddiqui, K. A., & Mahmoud, A. A. (2013). Depression and anxiety in parents of children with epilepsy: Are fathers involved? Neurosciences, 18, 2, 183-184.
Sinha, S., Samman, S. K., Elbakry, N., Wahaas, M, Marwa, K. A., & Siddiqui, A., et al. (2009). Depression and anxiety in parents of children with epilepsy [Abstract]. Epilepsia, 50, 11, p. 233-234."