Steven Samrock, M.A. (he/him)

Hello, I appreciate your interest in coming to CAPS and feel humbled by the opportunity to support the UC Santa Barbara community. As an integrative therapist, I believe in tailoring my approach to address your unique needs by integrating various evidence-based methods such as interpersonal psychotherapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, narrative therapy, psychodynamic therapy, etc. These methods enable us to journey through past, present, and future in the interest of self-discovery. Together we will address internal emotional conflicts and interpersonal challenges; set specific treatment goals, embed coping strategies, and uncover insights.

Considering the interplay between your inner emotional dynamics and the broader environmental, geopolitical, and relational contexts, as it pertains to experiences of oppression and power, enables a more holistic understanding of psychological well-being. It will also be important for us to address positionality and power dynamics in our therapeutic relationship. I continuously engage with the question of how my positionality as an able-bodied, White, English-speaking, non-religious, ethnic and cultural Ashkenazi Jew, non-indigenous, cisgender gay man influences my lens and approach to psychological practice and research. 

I have previous experience and continued interest in serving queer, gender diverse, QTBIPOC, BIPOC, neurodiverse, international students, first generation students, nontraditional students, and parents. I also enjoy working with issues associated with adjustment, anxiety, bereavement, bipolar disorder, depression, eating disorders, relationships, sexual health, suicidality, and post-traumatic stress disorder. I am interested in exploring the intersection of mental health and the climate crisis (e.g., eco-anxiety and climate distress). In my research, I apply a queer ecology lens to environmental psychology, examining how nature exposure and nature connectedness may serve as protective factors for sexual and gender diverse populations' mental health. In my free time, I'll be thrifting, baking brownies, riding my bicycle, or being walked by my dog.