Samantha G Farris PhD LLC
A Unique Specialty at the Intersection of Anxiety and Health
Dr. Samantha Farris
Dr. Farris has advanced training in both anxiety disorders and behavioral medicine (also known as health psychology)—two specialties that are typically pursued separately. This unique combination allows her to understand not only how anxiety develops and is maintained, but also how it influences physical symptoms, medical experiences, and health behaviors.
Many of the individuals Dr. Farris works with are living with chronic medical conditions, recovering from a serious health event, struggling with distressing physical symptoms, or avoiding important health behaviors because of anxiety or fear. Her expertise allows her to integrate evidence-based anxiety treatment with an understanding of the medical and behavioral factors that influence health and recovery.
Dr. Farris is a cognitive-behavioral therapist. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of therapy that involves understanding how behaviors and thinking patterns influence what we learn and how we feel. CBT involves learning new ways to think and act in response to anxiety. For many types of anxiety, an important part of CBT is exposure therapy. Exposure involves gradually and intentionally approaching situations, sensations, thoughts, or emotions that you have learned to fear or avoid.
Depending on each client's goals, treatment may include interoceptive exposure, which helps individuals become less fearful of uncomfortable or unfamiliar bodily sensations, and in vivo exposure, which involves gradually approaching feared situations, activities, or experiences in a structured and supportive way. These approaches are carefully individualized and designed to help clients build confidence rather than simply reduce distress in the moment.
As both a clinical psychologist and an active researcher, Dr. Farris brings scientific rigor to every aspect of her practice. She works collaboratively with clients to establish clear treatment goals, monitor progress, and use strategies that are supported by the strongest available evidence. Therapy is tailored to each individual's needs—sometimes involving a focused, time-limited course of treatment, and other times providing ongoing support as clients work toward meaningful, long-term change.
Above all, Dr. Farris believes that therapy should be practical, collaborative, and empowering. Her goal is to help clients better understand their anxiety, develop lasting skills, and return to living a fuller, healthier life.
Areas of Specialization:
-Health Anxiety
-Anxiety with Medical Conditions
-Anxiety in cardiac rehabilitation
-Medical reassurance-seeking
-Panic attacks and panic disorder
-Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
-Generalized Anxiety Disorder
-Social Anxiety Disorder
-Specific Phobias
-Health Behavior Change
-Substance use
Other Frequently Treated Concerns:
- Women’s health
- Perfectionism
- High-Stress Careers
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