Samantha King, MA, LPC

I am licensed with the North Carolina Board of Licensed Professional Counselors as an LPC.  I earned a Bachelor (BA) degree in Psychology from the University of Southern Maine (1999) and I graduated with a Master of Arts (MA) degree in Counseling (School Counseling track) from Gardner-Webb University in May 2005.  I have approximately 12 years of counseling experience in the behavioral/mental health field with adults, adolescents, children, and family systems in a variety of settings including crisis, schools, and alternative experiential working with individuals, groups, and families.  I am a certified Equine Assisted Mental Health Professional (EAGALA) and I am in the process of being certified as a Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP) through LPCANC and have been trained in the following therapeutic theories and tools: Gestalt Therapy and Play Therapy.  

I offer therapeutic wellness interventions with the process and goals of empowerment, positive/ balanced lifestyle choices, and optimum functioning for individuals, families, groups, and couples.  I enjoy working with children and adolescents (age 6-18) and adults through various developmental stages who are seeking support and facilitation in their healing and growth/ learning toward a "self- actualizing" potential where they truly are their "best self".  Improvement is indicated as you learn and develop adaptive responses to your interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships enhancing a sense of belonging with others while increasing self-esteem, self-worth, and competence.  Clear personal goals and values, improved communication skills, and a reduction in the symptoms are some of the concrete benefits you and others will notice as change. 

My therapeutic role as a counselor is to co-facilitate the therapeutic process in collaboration with you, as such, I am most helpful for those who are willing to be active participants and personally responsible for the change/ transformation process inherent to experiencing wellness.  Together, we will treat the root cause issues of common symptoms such as anxiety, depression, emotional/behavioral imbalance, trauma, and relational issues.  I approach counseling through the use of experiential methods such as Gestalt, Play, Expressive arts, Narrative, Adventure, and Equine- Assisted Psychotherapy.  These therapies provide a safe space for self- discovery as you gain awareness to patterns of emotions, behaviors, and thoughts in which you may be stuck and then create solutions to change and reconstruct your future.  There is more than one way to achieve outcomes and goals in therapy and so specific cognitive, behavioral, psych-educational, and experiential techniques may be relevant to supporting your journey in the context of the safe space that experiential process provides.