Rachel Samson
M.Psych (Clinical)
Clinical Psychologist & Family Consultant
Rachel is a clinical psychologist with a particular interest in the issues that affect the mental health and emotional wellbeing of young women. She has experience in guiding women to understand themselves, their experiences, and their social context, in order to reach a place of greater self-acceptance and increased wellbeing. As part of the process, she supports clients in understand and responding to emotions, developing assertiveness to solidify boundaries, understanding one's attachment history, and unpacking and challenging gender stereotypes.
Rachel takes a person-centered, holistic approach to therapy; she draws from positive psychology and utilises evidence-based therapies, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Schema Therapy, attachment-focused therapies, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Mindfulness to help clients break free from the negative life patterns that underlie longstanding psychological difficulties and challenging relationships. At the heart of Rachel’s approach is the belief that all of our emotions make sense and hold important information about our values and needs.
Rachel is also experienced in the application of attachment theory to clinical practice and is trained in attachment-focused interventions. She held a senior psychologist position with the Government of South Australia, Specialist Child and Youth Service where she provided home-based intensive family intervention for children and families with complex needs. Rachel is a registered Circle of Security Parent Facilitator. She attended intensive training in the assessment of parent-child attachment in the John Bowlby-Mary Ainsworth tradition with Alan Sroufe and Elizabeth Carlson at the University of Minnesota. She has also completed training in the assessment of maternal sensitivity with Marian Bakermans-Kranenburg at the University of Cambridge. Rachel is a member of the International Attachment Network (IAN).
Rachel has International Certification in Schema Therapy (advanced-level) and is a member of the International Society of Schema Therapy (ISST). She has undertaken training and supervision in Schema Therapy with supervisors in Australia, the Netherlands, and the United States. Rachel collaborated with Dr. Jeffrey Young, the founder of Schema Therapy, and Dr. George Lockwood on the development of an expanded Schema Therapy model for highly sensitive and emotionally reactive individuals which was presented at the ISST international conference in Amsterdam in 2018.
Rachel was awarded both First Class Honours in psychology and a Masters in Clinical Psychology by the University of South Australia. She was twice awarded the Australian Psychological Society Prize which recognises excellence in psychology and is awarded to individuals who gain first place at the end of their psychology degree/s. Rachel has delivered invited seminars and workshops, published research, and presented at national and international conferences, including in Turkey, Austria, and the Netherlands, on the topics of parent-child attachment, the trait of high sensitivity and differential susceptibility, and Schema Therapy.
Rachel guest lectures for various organisations, including the University of Adelaide and the South Australian Branch Training Committee for Psychiatry. She has been a guest writer for and consulted by various media outlets, including ABC Radio National, Mix 102.3 radio, Channel 9 News, news.com.au, UK Telegraph, The National Workforce Centre for Child Mental Health: Emerging Minds, SA Life, The Gottman Institute, Mamamia, PsychologyToday, Mindful Parenting, and The Natural Parent.
Rachel has been a practitioner of Mindfulness and Zen Buddhism for the past 15 years and has spent time at Plum Village Mindfulness Practice Centre in France practicing and training in the tradition of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh.