Samantha Pieknik, Psy.D., PLLC

Dr. Sami serves and advocates for neurodivergent children, teens, and young adults who might feel misunderstood by the world around them. In life, it's important to be your true authentic self. Dr. Sami meets her clients exactly where they're at and holds the therapeutic relationship to an exceptionally high standard. She works with individuals to help them feel their feelings, self-advocate, process emotions, manage distress, uncover their true identities, and improve their overall self-esteem. Personally, Dr. Sami values non-judgment and authenticity. It's exhausting not being able to show others who you truly are. Hiding one's true self from the world (also known as masking) can cause neurodivergent individuals to feel exhausted, anxious, depressed, and misunderstood. Dr. Sami is not only a therapist, but she is a diagnostician, clinician, advocate, and educator for neurodiverse populations. She wears many metaphorical "hats" in this field to try to make the community a more accepting and safe place for neurodivergent individuals who might differ from the majority culture. ​Dr. Sami has almost 15 years of experience working with neurodivergent individuals across the lifespan and in a variety of settings including inpatient residential, home-based therapies, community mental health, schools, non-profits, and in private practice. Her goal is to meet each client where they're at in a way that is unique to them, and offer supportive, affirmative care while incorporating individual interests and needs into therapy. She incorporates an eclectic approach to therapy and utilize play-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), person-centered, narrative, and relational therapies. Regarding education and training, Dr. Sami earned her baccalaureate at Arizona State University (ASU) in Psychology and Family and Human Development in 2011. She completed both her master's (MA) and doctoral (Psy.D.) degrees at the Arizona School of Professional Psychology (ASPP) in Clinical Psychology and graduated in 2016. In addition to offering clinical services, Dr. Sami co-leads trainings & webinars focused on affirming practices and educating other professionals about neurodiversity. *** For Crisis Supports, please visit the following link: https://www.drpieknik.com/services-2