Sarah K. Samman, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the masters and doctoral Couple and Family Therapy Programs at Alliant International University. She earned her masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Lewis & Clark College and her post-masters 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 multiculturalism, spirituality, and gender and power on couple and family relationships. Dr. Samman utilizes a biopsychosociospiritual approach to therapy based on a strong interdisciplinary background in health psychology, medical family therapy with an interest in the integration of MFTs in healthcare settings, 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
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
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.
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., & 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
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. New York, NY: Springer.
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
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
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.
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.
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.