About Dr Samelson
I am an MD psychiatrist practicing in-depth psychotherapy and medication management. Specializations include trauma recovery, issues related to menstruation, and the perinatal period. I currently see patients in Illinois, California, and Washington state. I am only available for telehealth (visits by video).
I am unfortunately not able to take on new patients at this time. I will update this page when I open up to new patients again.
Insight-Oriented Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy works by building together a safe environment so that you can investigate the way your life experiences have led to certain beliefs, feelings, and behaviors. These ways of being in regards to yourself, relationships, and our sociocultural environment likely served you really well in the context of your early life, but might not be working as well anymore, or might have some unwanted side effects. Therapy helps you recognize these patterns so you can start the process of healing and move towards a greater understanding of how you do, can, and want to interface with a complex and imperfect world. A therapy story involves grace for yourself, validation and integration of the hard feelings and memories that your early contexts created, and finally agency going forward in order to live life in accordance with your desires, values, and sense of an authentic self. This process when it works best is collaborative, curious, deep, and evolving, and requires a striving towards understanding and openness from both of us.
As a therapist, I am especially interested in trauma recovery on an individual, interpersonal, and greater sociocultural level. I am working to integrate into my practice an appreciation for the impact of intergenerational trauma, racialized trauma, and gender-based trauma; an understanding of ongoing systemic oppression that impedes recovery; and approaches informed by abolition, harm reduction, and transformative justice frameworks. I feel that community healing is part of individual recovery.
Specialized Psychiatric Treatment
Our minds are a complex interrelation between our brain, other somatic systems, our social context, and much else about our environment. Improving mental health calls for a creative and adaptive approach that takes all these factors into account. An effective treatment approach for you might include medications, long-term insight-oriented therapy (see above), brief therapeutic techniques including CBT and DBT, relationships or community involvement, over the counter supplements, behavioral activation and movement, and other tools that are often of use.
I have particular experience, skill, and interest in helping people with issues related to or including:
Trauma
Pregnancy
Postpartum phase
Parenting
The menstrual cycle
Psychiatric Consultation
Outpatient consultations typically consist of 2-3 visits focused on in-depth evaluation, brief therapeutic engagement, and thorough recommendations to bring you forward after our encounters with a full mental health toolbox. During our work we will talk in depth about your mental health history and current experience to create a plan together to help you best. Because we’ll meet a few times, you’ll have some time to trial recommendations so we can cater them to you and your needs. At the conclusion of our consultation I provide written recommendations regarding medications, coping skills, and therapy guidance. I can communicate these to your primary care doctor for ongoing treatment. Consultations are often helpful for people looking for second opinions, new ideas to try, or a first professional look at their mental health. A consultation would not be appropriate if you need an ongoing doctor-patient relationship with me. At this time I am not available for consultations for ADHD assessment or for anyone under 18.
Education
In addition to practicing psychotherapy and psychiatric treatment, I hold a courtesy faculty position in University of Washington’s psychiatry department. I am certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.
Illinois Institute of Technology, B.S.
University of Illinois at Chicago, M.D.
University of Washington, Psychiatry Residency
PAYMENT
I am considered an out-of-network provider with all insurance companies. I can provide itemized receipts that are submitted to an insurance company for reimbursement, often called a “superbill”. I recommend checking with your insurance provider to learn what proportion of my fee might be reimbursed. I often have some sliding scale fee options available, which are prioritized for those experiencing financial instability and/or those who have been marginalized in our society by racism, lack of disability access, homophobia, transphobia, or other forms of structural inequity.
Contact Me
Please note that I am not currently accepting new patients. I will update this page when this changes.
If you’d like to discuss beginning treatment or scheduling consultation with me, please call and leave a voicemail at (206) 558-5495. When you call, include your name, phone number, and some good times for me to call you back. We can talk over the phone about some logistics and basic ideas of what work together might look like, and if it feels like a good fit, we can then schedule a visit. Alternatively, please use the contact form below to let me know how to get in touch with you.
Please note, the information in below form goes to my unencrypted email account. I apply reasonable safeguards to protect health information sent electronically, but I cannot guarantee the security and confidentiality of email communication. I will not be responsible for messages that are not received or delivered due to technical failure, or for disclosure of confidential information unless caused by intentional misconduct.
Please be aware that I cannot respond to requests urgently. If you need urgent assistance, please call the Crisis Line at 988 or go to the nearest emergency room.