A steady presence for foster & adoptive families

I’m Samantha Severin, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in trauma and attachment. My work is grounded in the belief that early experiences shape both our nervous systems and our relationships—and that healing becomes possible through safety, connection, and skilled support.

My commitment to foster and adoptive families is both professional and personal. I am an adoptive mother through foster care, so I know firsthand some of the beauty, complexity, grief, and uncertainty that can come with loving a child whose story began before they entered your home. I also hold that experience with humility — every family’s story is different, and my own journey is only one of many. My clinical training helps me listen for what is unique in yours.

I also serve as a Foster the City Vision Team member for Orange and LA County, working to connect local foster families with practical support and encouragement. That volunteer role is separate from my therapy practice, but it keeps me close to the everyday realities foster families face.

I work with parents who love deeply but feel worn down — offering a steady space to process, heal, and keep showing up for their children.

I use EMDR, attachment-based therapy, and practical tools that help children and caregivers better understand and regulate their nervous systems. For clients who desire it, Christian faith can also be a meaningful part of our work together.

In addition to my clinical practice, I teach and speak to churches, agencies, and clinical teams. I’m also growing into education and training, with the hope of equipping more professionals and ministry leaders to care well for vulnerable children and the families who love them.