“It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that
things are difficult,” – Seneca
Philosophy and Therapeutic Approach
Welcome! My name is Sam Dysart. And I’m glad that you’re here.
Perhaps you’ve landed on this page because you’re wondering what life may look like if you found your way into change and clarity. Or maybe you’re longing for relief, comfort, and to be understood. If I can be honest, I’ve been there: wondering about a life free from current struggles and yearning for peace whilst alone in the dark in my own quiet cave.
That is why I am deeply committed to engaging your story and your heart with tremendous care and compassion. I will provide to you empathy, respect, and unwavering support, all while truly hearing you through active, non-judgmental listening. I am here to meet you at the place you’ve found yourself and sit with you in pain and discomfort.
You are not meant to hold the weight of untold stories and struggles. Unprocessed trauma will manifest physically, mentally, and emotionally, consequently impacting your everyday life, relationships, and thoughts and feelings about yourself and the world. Relief from heartache is difficult, but it is possible—and it is my job and my joy to help you and walk with you on your journey to lasting freedom and joy.
In essence, I’m here to help you recover your heart and get your life back.
What to Expect in Therapy
Clinically, I am a narrative trauma therapist.
What this means for you is that I will thoughtfully engage your story, helping you notice the points of pain and loss of heart in the aftermath of harm and abuse. Though, I make an intentional effort to not only help you name your deep woundedness, but your deep goodness as well. The hope in recovering your heart lies not only in the reprocessing of your wounds and trauma, but in the reprocessing and renaming of your God given self (gifts, talents, abilities, personality, character, etc.).
INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING:
Sexual Recovery:
I specialize in sexual abuse recovery and the challenges that come out of struggling with unwanted sexual behavior (pornography, buying sex, infidelity). Sexual struggles bring about shame and embarrassment in ways that are simply different than other struggles. I have immense compassion for those who have been sexual violated and feel like they are sexually broken. I also work with women (and men) who are experiencing betrayal trauma and need a space to process through the particular and perhaps at times unbearable hurt of broken trust.
General Behavioral Struggles and Trauma Care:
As a counselor and trauma therapist, I work with men and women navigating a broad spectrum of challenges, including anxiety, depression, perfectionism, relationship issues, addiction, anger, emotional dysregulation, grief and loss, and spiritual struggles to name a few. I also work with people with stress-related trauma issues on an acute and general level. I approach trauma care and reprocessing through a Narrative Focused Trauma Care lens in addition to Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, Structural Dissociation Model, and Internal-Family Systems. This allows me to have a more integrated approach to trauma work, rather than a one-sized-fits-all method.
Individual Teen Counseling:
I have a primary goal when it comes to counseling teenagers: to support teens in the uncovering and healing of trauma and attachment wounds that lead to mental health challenges and behavioral issues. I believe that developing trust in a safe, calm space allows teens to open up around what may be difficult and distressing topics. My support to teens also focuses on gaining confidence, knowledge of the self, and capturing negative thought patterns and replacing these with more positive narratives, which can ultimately lead to teens establishing healthy, long-term coping skills.
COUPLES COUNSELING:
Marriage Counseling:
Recovering hope within a disconnected marriage may seem unmanageable and even impossible at times. The stuckness and stonewalling, the contempt and resentment. It can feel brutal to face it all. But imagine if your marriage wasn’t a breeding ground for misery and destruction, but instead a place where the best of times could be had again and hoped for and fought for. This is a real possibility when you let your marriage have another set of eyes on it while in a safe place to do the hard work. Let counseling be that place where you and your spouse dig deep to draw out the best in one another and recapture love, connection, and joy.
Premarital Counseling:
I believe premarital therapy is an act of preventative maintenance that enables you to care for your relationship and prevent problems before they happen. My role is to come alongside you and help prepare you for common issues found in married life such as, communication, finances, sex, and family dynamics. My approach to premarital counseling involves guided conversations to help you explore one another’s values and gently address concerns, conflicts, or undisclosed topics or feelings. This support could be in the form of general discussion, or through implementing the Prepare/Enrich or SYMBIS (Save Your Marriage Before It Starts) assessments.
Personal Qualifications and Experience
I hold a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Colorado Christian University which I received in December of 2022.
I now also hold a Certificate of Completion in Narrative-Focused Trauma Care Level 1 under the direction of Dan Allender and The Allender Center at the Seattle School of Theology and Psychology and am currently completing the Level 2 track. I am also Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy informed and regularly implement this technique into storywork, as I have found the marriage of these modalities creates a space not only for deep exploration, but clear paths towards practical implementation.
Personal Interests
Like many Coloradans, my escape is in the great outdoors! I have a passion for hiking, mountain biking, camping, and general adventuring with my beautiful wife, Ashleigh, of five years as well as with our two dogs — Leika (Entlebucher Mountain Dog) and Maverick (English Cream Golden Retriever). My indoor-enthusiast hobbies include writing, woodworking, and watching way, way too many movies!
