Education and Background

Dr. Samler received both her Master’s and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology/Chicago.  Her focus was in Psychodynamic therapy and Forensic Psychology.    

Her training background included providing outpatient and residential treatment for adolescents and adults with depression, trauma history, ADHD and anxiety, utilizing a relational Psychodynamic approach.  

Additionally, she spent numerous years delivering individual, family and group therapy services to adolescents with serious emotional and behavioral disorders, many from a background of abuse and neglect.  She provided intensive therapy and advocacy to troubled youth in therapeutic day schools.  She worked with  504 plans and IEP (Individual Education Plans) providing  continuity of care  with parents, school and administration.   

Dr. Samler has an extensive background in forensic settings.  She trained at Elgin Mental Health Center on UST (Unfit to Stand Trial) and NGRI (Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity) units.   She was a mitigation specialist for the Cook County Public Defender's Office working with pretrial detainees whose crimes qualified for the death penalty.  She ran outpatient court ordered anger management groups and assertiveness training for men.  Dr. Samler also  spent six years as the therapist to children and their families in the foster care system.

She collaborated care across several domains; including: the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) and the Cook and Lake County court systems.  She has worked with the Chicago Police Department conducting pre-hire screenings and fitness for duty assessments. 

Dr. Samler helped develop, implement and lead the diversity training at Allendale Association for psychiatric residential and group home staff to build and strengthen teams which subsequently, improved the quality of treatment received by patients.  

In addition to private practice, Dr. Samler is an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP) in Malibu, California. 

Dr. Samler is a certified practitioner through the Center for Mind Body Medicine in Washington D.C. https://cmbm.org/