Sam Hartman, LPC
I don’t expect someone to meet with me and suddenly feel comfortable spilling to a total stranger, so let me introduce myself.
I grew up in Warner Robins, Georgia and went further south to Valdosta State University for college. I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 2015 and my master’s degree in Clinical/Counseling Psychology in 2017. I have been working the North Atlanta area since 2018. Since that time, I have worked as a therapist in outpatient substance abuse agencies and in private practice. An additional aspect of my work is as a psychometrist administering, scoring, and interpreting psychological assessments. Within this role I have administered disability eligibility evaluations, educational assessments for accommodations in school, and comprehensive psychological evaluations.
I take a person-centered approach to working with my clients. Above all else, I believe that therapy should be a place that is safe, non-judgmental, and collaborative. Every person deserves a place to tell their story and have that story be heard. My clients would likely describe me as honest, warm, authentic, and relatable. You are the one in control of your life, I am simply here to be on the journey alongside you as a guide. I believe in showing up with you as a human first, and a therapist second.
With a deep understanding of various therapeutic modalities, including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness-based approaches, and trauma-informed care, I tailor my interventions to meet the unique needs and goals of each individual person. It is NOT a one size fits all type of deal. My goal is to empower clients to develop insight, build coping skills, and cultivate a sense of self-compassion as they navigate life's challenges.
My ideal clients are individuals who are highly anxious, self-critical, highly sensitive, and tend to get stuck “thinking” rather than “experiencing/feeling.” I work a lot with neurodivergent individuals and those in the LGBTQ+ community specifically to offer acceptance and compassion to populations that don’t typically get it. Over the years I have also developed a passion for working with individuals who are grieving and those who are curious about getting sober or exploring their relationship with drugs and alcohol.
What would you do if you weren’t a therapist?
When I first started my career, I would have told you that I would have been in some random corporate job that I could walk away from at 5pm and not think about. However now, if I wasn’t a therapist, I would really love to be a florist or be one of the wildflower farm workers who sells bouquets at farmer’s markets. Flowers are pretty, smell good, and make me happy.
Why did you become a therapist?
Honestly, I initially became a therapist because I had a dysfunctional and traumatic childhood myself and wanted to find some kind of healing. Beyond that, I have always had a heightened sense of empathy and understanding for others, and I knew that I wanted to share that compassion with others facing similar challenges. I also became a therapist because I firmly believe that humans are truly the most amazing, complex, and interesting things in this world. I knew that working directly with people and diving into these intricacies would be intellectually and emotionally rewarding.
Nowadays, I remain a therapist because of a strong calling to offer some level of compassion, kindness, and safety in a world that is anything but. I know that I cannot change the world on a grand scale, so I decided to touch lives on an individual basis. My metaphor for this now is what I’ve colloquially named my “reverse chaos” theory meaning that if I help someone, my hope is they inspire/help someone else in their life and so forth. I like to believe that this creates a small invisible string of healing that helps reverse some of that chaos.
What specific part of being a therapist do you most enjoy?
There is a lot that I enjoy and love about my profession. The thing I probably most enjoy is being able to see the self-pride my clients create for themselves. There is something so profound around seeing someone become the most confident and authentic version of themselves that makes me almost giddy. It takes so much grit and determination to improve your life and when my clients tell me they’re out there doing it well it’s like the little animated cheerleader from the Lizzie McGuire movie pops into my head. I get a lot of satisfaction from my clients living in ways congruent to them.
What have you learned from your clients?
I think the better question here is what HAVEN’T I learned?? I am learning from my clients every day. I have learned that the human spirit is both resilient and fragile, I have learned about different cultures and how families navigate mental health, and I have learned that people are more capable than they give themselves credit for.
I also get to learn about other things like new Netflix shows to watch, unique coping strategies, their pets, and cool things to buy that they have liked. I never knew I would learn so much. I have had clients who are lawyers, veterinarians, dental hygienists, teachers… you name it. I appreciate learning about their professions, and they have taught me so many skills that I never would have known if they didn’t decide to work with me.
What are your personal interests? What are you passionate about?
My interests generally focus on creativity of some sort. I enjoy painting, cooking, drawing, and have even dabbled in some woodworking. You could also say I have a green thumb. I have around 40 houseplants and like gardening. During a typical day after work, I am probably hanging out with my partner, my cats, and thinking about when I could take a nap.