Anna Samsonova, MA, LPC, R-DMT, MFTC

Sometimes it is just not easy to feel good. Simple tasks become impossibly hard. Life events may seem bigger than us. We feel no control over our lives. We can’t stop worrying. We overreact and lash out at our loved ones. We may feel crushed and unmotivated. Often in the most difficult situations, we feel alone, even when surrounded by friends and family. If you feel this way, please know, you matter, and I stretch my hand to you. In the darkest moments of my life, I was lucky to find support, and I consider it a privilege to search for the light with you. I work with families in conflict, couples dealing with a variety of relationship issues, and adults throughout their lifespan. At the center of my work, I place human connection, emotional regulation, and a deep curiosity in the unique manifestations of life in this world. I believe that each individual can gain agency over their life and well-being and have thriving relationships. When we have enough support, we can unleash our potential in the most surprising ways and live with love, joy, and gratitude in our hearts.

In my clinical practice, I use somatic and dance/movement therapy together with conventional talk therapy. Somatic therapy and dance/movement therapy are psychotherapeutic approaches that view an individual holistically based on the premise that our body, mind, and feelings are interconnected. I believe that paying close attention to body sensations in response to our feelings and thoughts and vice versa creates changes in the way we react and interact with people and view ourselves. Sometimes it is incredibly difficult to verbally express what we are experiencing and how we have been coping. Our mind can block painful memories, but our body stores all our background and may speak to us through tension, pain or allergies. Somatic therapy and dance/movement therapy give the physical body a voice and use sensations and movement as their language. It is a particularly useful approach in working with children and youth.

I have been working as a psychotherapist since 2007 in various settings including a psychiatric hospital, private counseling centers, Montessori schools and a children’s shelter in Russia. I received a Master’s degree in Somatic Mental Health Counseling. I am also a certified Gestalt psychotherapist specialized in Children Therapy and clinically trained in ISMETA approved program “Applied Perinatal Somatic Psychotherapy” at the Brook Institute. I look forward to serving clients in Longmont and the surrounding communities.