Samantha Pekh – Registered Psychologist & Clinical Traumatologist, Edmonton
About Samantha, M.A.
- Certified in CBT for Insomnia (Dr. Jacobs)
- Certified EMDR therapist
As a Registered Psychologist and Certified EMDR Therapist, I provide psychological services to adults, families, and groups.
I help clients resolve current life difficulties, identify life goals, and develop strategies for reaching those goals.
I enjoy working with a range of issues and concerns, but specialize in certain key areas (please see my list of key interests below).
Because I select and customize strategies for the needs of each client, therapy may look different for each client and/or family.
Beginning January 2026, Samantha will be offering appointments exclusively through virtual or telephone sessions.
Areas You May Be Struggling With
- Do you feel tense, overwhelmed, or emotionally exhausted most days, even when you are trying to keep up with everything?
- Do you find yourself worrying, overthinking, or experiencing racing thoughts that make it difficult to focus, make decisions, or complete everyday tasks?
- Do you feel mentally foggy, forgetful, easily distracted, or not as sharp as you used to be?
- Do you feel burned out, drained, or like you have little energy left for work, family, relationships, or the things you normally enjoy?
- Do you find it difficult to recover after stressful situations, with your mind or body staying switched on even when the stressful event has passed?
- Do memories, triggers, or past experiences continue to contribute to stress, anxiety, self doubt, emotional reactions, or feeling overwhelmed?
- Are you having difficulty bouncing back after an accident, injury, or other significant life event?
- Are you frustrated or overwhelmed by persistent pain, particularly when stress, poor sleep, or emotional exhaustion seem to make it worse?
- Is poor sleep affecting your energy, concentration, memory, mood, or ability to function during the day?
- Do you want practical support to feel calmer, clearer, more emotionally balanced, and more like yourself again?
Who Do I Help? Am I the Right Therapist for You?
Choosing a therapist is a very personal choice. Feeling comfortable and at ease with the person you’re working with can make a real difference in how helpful therapy feels. Every therapist has their own style, and the relationship you build together plays a big role in progress, often just as much as the tools or techniques used. That’s why it’s worth taking a moment to check in with yourself and consider whether working with me feels like the right fit for you.
You may be feeling weighed down by anxiety, anger, overwhelm, or ongoing stress. You might notice that you feel emotionally charged, while at the same time your energy feels low or depleted. You may be someone who overthinks or overplans, and at times feel frustrated by the slower pace others seem able to tolerate. You might recognize that you sometimes react more strongly than you would like, whether others notice it or it happens quietly inside.
You may also be dealing with chronic pain or ongoing sleep difficulties, and notice that these challenges make it harder to focus on other areas of your life. Unsure how to address them so you can focus on and work more effectively on your thoughts, emotions, and overall well-being.
You want things to get better, but you may feel unsure about how to make that happen. You may be wanting someone to talk with about what is on your mind, to help you check whether you are on the right path, and to feel less alone as you try to sort things out.
You may also be curious about yourself. You might want to understand why you react the way you do in certain situations and learn more about the different parts of who you are. You might be just starting to feel ready for deeper self-reflection, or you may already feel ready to process past experiences so they no longer carry such a strong emotional charge into your present life.
You may be open to learning new ways of thinking and coping that more closely match the person you want to become. You are ready to take time to explore what you want to change, and you want support in creating a clear, realistic path forward that feels manageable, meaningful, and aligned with your goals.
If the above resonates with you, we may be a strong fit to work together.
We May Not Be a Good Fit If:
We might not be the best fit if you’re not ready or willing to engage in therapy, or if attending feels like something you’re being forced to do. If things feel “fine as they are” and you’re not motivated to make changes, I might not be the right therapist for you at this time. I work best with people who are experiencing emotional challenges that they want to understand or resolve and who are interested in exploring their emotions and noticing patterns in their behaviors and thoughts.
That said, if you’re feeling emotionally flat or find it hard to connect with or notice your emotions, we have other therapists at our clinic who enjoy working with this way of showing up, and our admin team can help connect you with someone who is a better match.
I’m also not the right therapist for you if your main focus is couples work, legal assessments, or standardized testing. My work focuses on understanding what’s happening for you, your symptoms, patterns, and experiences, to guide therapy, rather than providing formal standardized reports. We will assess symptoms and what is happening for you to guide treatment and to track progress, but not for the purposes of comprehensive assessments or formal reports.
Finally, I only provide online sessions during the work day. This is what fits into my life for now and my other life obligations and responsibilities. If you’re looking for in-person appointments or evening and weekend availability, I won’t be the right match as it will get difficult to find times that work best for you.
Therapy works best when you feel comfortable, understood, and supported. If the qualities above resonate with you, there’s a good chance we’ll connect well. I’m here to listen, guide, and walk with you through whatever you’re facing. Together, we can explore your challenges, build practical skills, and help you feel more confident, grounded, and in control of your life.
Who Am I as a Person?
I know what it is like to be an overthinker, to worry, plan, and sometimes spend more time than necessary thinking through every possibility. Over the years, I have developed tools and perspectives that help me manage this more effectively. I still have moments when I fall back into old patterns, but I have learned to recognize them sooner and respond differently than I did in my twenties.
I have also experienced significant challenges and losses in my own life. Like many people, there have been times when I kept moving forward because life required it. Responsibilities still needed to be managed, people still needed me, and there was always something that had to get done. Those experiences taught me an important lesson about the difference between simply functioning and genuinely feeling well.
I understand how easy it can be to keep going for so long that you forget what it feels like to have energy left for yourself. I have experienced the process of rebuilding that energy and learning that feeling better is not simply about appearing capable on the outside. It is about gradually feeling more alive, present, motivated, and connected on the inside.
Real energy gives us more than the ability to get through the day. It creates space for curiosity, creativity, motivation, and inspiration. It allows us to engage with the people we care about, pursue the things that matter to us, and experience life with greater presence rather than simply moving from one responsibility to the next.
I know what it is like to face challenges, question yourself, wish things could feel easier, and find it difficult to slow down or ask for support. Those experiences have shaped the way I show up in therapy. They have helped me develop a deep appreciation for the courage it takes to seek support, make changes, and create a life that feels meaningful, sustainable, and genuinely your own.
How Do I Help? My Therapy Style and What You Can Expect
In sessions, I am focused, present, and intentional about creating a space where you feel comfortable being yourself. At the same time, I am human. Outside of the therapy room, I experience the same demands, responsibilities, relationships, and unexpected moments that are part of everyday life. There are times when I do not show up exactly as I would like with the people I love, and I have learned that relationships are not about getting everything right. They are also about noticing when something has gone off track, taking responsibility, reconnecting, and repairing when needed.
I naturally use analogies, metaphors, and stories to explain ideas and connect different pieces of what we are discussing. I tend to be direct, but always with warmth and respect. Sessions can be thoughtful and serious, but there is also often room for laughter, including laughing at myself. I value authenticity and believe that a genuine therapeutic relationship creates space for meaningful work.
I listen carefully and give you room to share your experience. At the same time, I may gently point out patterns, ask questions, or offer an observation that could help us move toward your goals. Sometimes something I say will resonate immediately. Sometimes it will lead to a conversation that helps us see something differently. And sometimes I will miss the mark. When that happens, I want you to tell me. Your perspective is an important part of the work.
I am comfortable allowing our conversations to move in unexpected directions when something meaningful comes up. Often, connections become clearer when we give ourselves room to explore. At the same time, I pay attention to what matters most to you and will check in about how you want to use our time together. Therapy should feel purposeful while still leaving room for what you need in the moment.
I often use EMDR as part of my work, although EMDR does not always involve processing a specific memory. Depending on your goals, it may also be used to support insight, strengthen positive changes, or help with emotional and nervous system regulation. I also use CBT to explore the connection between thoughts, emotions, behaviours, and current patterns, and to identify practical changes that may better support your goals.
I also offer ExoMind™ repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, or rTMS, as an additional brain based treatment option when it is clinically appropriate. ExoMind™ uses targeted, non invasive magnetic stimulation to support brain activity in areas involved in mood, emotional regulation, and cognitive functioning. For some clients, it may be considered when concerns such as persistent low mood, anxiety, cognitive fatigue, concentration difficulties, or emotional regulation challenges continue to affect daily functioning. I see ExoMind™ as one part of a broader treatment plan, rather than a replacement for therapy. When appropriate, it can be integrated with psychological treatment to support both the brain and the skills, insight, and behavioural changes we work on together.
When these approaches are used together, we can explore how your experiences have shaped the way you see yourself, other people, and the world around you. We can also look at the beliefs, coping strategies, and protective patterns that developed along the way. Over time, the goal is to create greater flexibility, understanding, and choice in how you respond to yourself and your life.
Clients often describe me as warm, approachable, and straightforward. I show up with genuine curiosity and a strong interest in understanding your experience. I value honesty, questions, and feedback because therapy works best when we can talk openly about what is and is not helpful. I will check in with you throughout the process, and if something is not working, we can adjust our approach together.
People who know me well would probably describe me as a bit of a wordsmith. I enjoy finding the right metaphor or story to make an idea clearer and more meaningful. I am also organized and reliable, and I tend to plan ahead. I can sometimes get caught up in the details because I care about doing things well. While this may make me appear logical and strategic, I also care deeply about the people I work with and about creating therapy that feels personal, thoughtful, and genuinely useful.
Ultimately, I want our work together to feel like a place where you can be honest, curious, challenged, supported, and fully yourself. My role is not to have all the answers. It is to work alongside you, bring my experience and perspective, and help you discover what supports meaningful and lasting change.
What You Might Notice After Working With Me
I will help you develop practical ways to manage worry, overthinking, and rumination, while reducing the distress that can come from experiences that continue to affect you. Together, we will work with the thoughts, emotions, and patterns that may be keeping you stuck, so you can feel more present, grounded, and able to engage with your life.
We will explore how your experiences have shaped who you are, how you respond to challenges, and the different parts of yourself that may sometimes feel like they are pulling you in different directions. Rather than judging or trying to get rid of these parts, we will work to understand what they are trying to protect or communicate. Even the parts of yourself that you may feel frustrated with, embarrassed by, or wish were different have developed for a reason. With greater understanding, these patterns can become more manageable and less likely to take over when you are stressed. After all, does the anxious or angry part of you really need to be running the show all the time?
At other times, our work will be much more focused on the present. We will use practical strategies to address current challenges, strengthen coping skills, improve emotional regulation, and create greater stability in your daily life. Therapy should not only help you understand where you have been. It should also give you tools for navigating where you are now.
My goal is to help you feel more comfortable and engaged in the life you are living today, while also building a clearer sense of who you are becoming. For some people, this may mean sleeping better, feeling less overwhelmed, experiencing less chronic pain, or having more energy. For others, it may mean feeling more confident, communicating more effectively, reconnecting with loved ones, or feeling more grounded in their decisions.
Together, we will work toward helping you show up in your relationships in ways that feel authentic and aligned with your values. We will also make space for the wisdom you already carry within you. You may have more insight and inner strength than you realize. My role is to help you access it, trust it, and use it to guide your decisions, your actions, and the next steps in your life.
Areas of Interest & Specialty
Client Focus
Cdn Armed Forces CAF | Caregivers | First Responders | RCMP | Individual Adults | First Nations | Inuit | Metis | RCMP | Veterans VAC | WCB
Service Language(s):
- English
Areas of Specialty
Anxiety | Bipolar | Burnout | Caregiver Support | CBT | CBTi for Insomnia | Chronic Pain | Depression | EMDR | Grief |MVA Injury | Personal Injury | Return to Work | Trauma
Types of Therapy Approaches
That I Offer
CBT | CBTi for Insomnia | EMDR | EMDR/ Flash | IFS Internal Family | Mind, Body, and Spirit Work | Somatic Approaches | Solution-Focused Therapy SFT | Trauma-Informed | TMS - Transmagnetic Stimulation Therapy / ExoMind™
How Services Can Be Accessed
Insurance & Funding Options
Clients can access services privately or through the following plans:
- Canadian Armed Forces (CAF)
- Extended Health Care Plan (Blue Cross, Canada Life, Sun Life,
- Manulife, Greenshield, and others)
- Indian Residential School Program (IRS RHSP)
- Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB)
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
- Veteran Affairs Canada (VAC)
- Worker’s Compensation Board (WCB)
Training & Qualifications
Samantha is a Registered Psychologist with a Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology, a Certified EMDR Therapist, and a Certified CBT for Insomnia Therapist. She has over 25 years of experience supporting clients as they navigate trauma, anxiety, depression, and grief. She became a Registered Psychologist in 2010 and brings a depth of clinical experience grounded in both evidence-based practice and real-world application.
In her work, Samantha primarily uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), guided by a phase-oriented approach to treatment. Her practice is informed by attachment theory, structural dissociation, and adaptive information processing. These frameworks allow her to help clients safely process overwhelming experiences so they no longer carry the same emotional or physical distress, and to build practical strategies that support lasting change and meaningful goal development.