Complete List of Publications
Sarah K. Samman, PhD, LMFT is a clinical practitioner and Associate Faculty member who teaches graduate-level courses in counseling and marriage and family therapy. She earned her master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Lewis & Clark College, followed by a post-master’s certificate in Medical Family Therapy and a doctoral degree in Marital and Family Therapy from Loma Linda University.
Dr. Sarah’s scholarly and professional work centers on systemic and relational approaches to couple and family therapy, with particular attention to gender and power, cultural and social context, spirituality, and the experiences of diverse and marginalized communities. She has published in professional journals, books, and edited volumes and has presented nationally and internationally on topics including gendered power in couple therapy, relational empowerment, intercultural and interracial relationships, Arab and Muslim communities, social justice in systemic therapy, and the intersection of health and relationships. Her clinical and scholarly work reflects a bio-psycho-socio-spiritual perspective grounded in interdisciplinary practice and a commitment to interpersonal and social justice. She is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California and an AAMFT Approved Supervisor.
ElRoby Saleh, M., Samman, S. K., Dansby Olufowote, R. (2024). Practicing couple therapy in the Middle East: Arab and Muslim related critiques and clinical considerations. In K. Hertlein (Ed.). International Handbook of Couple and Family Therapy (pp. 455–472). Routledge.
Boykins, B., & Samman, S. K. (2023). Decolonizing higher education through incorporating antiracist pedagogy in doctoral students’ academics, mentorship, and training. In L. Nice & C. Eppler (Ed.). Social Justice and Systemic Family Therapy Training, (pp. 85-96). AFTA Springer.
Knudson-Martin, C., ChenFeng, J., Galick, A., Lobo, E., Samman, S. K., & Williams, K. (2018). Transforming gender discourse in couple therapy: Researching intersections of societal discourse, emotion, and interaction. In T. Strong & O. Sutherland (Eds.). Discursive therapies/Discursive research, (pp. 119–137). Palgrave Macmillan.
Moreno, J. M., Samman S. K. (2018). Coalition in structural family therapy. In J. Lebow, A. Chambers, & D. Breunlin (Eds,). Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15877-8_250-1
Samman, S. K. (2018). Alger, Ian. In J. Lebow, A. Chambers, & D. Breunlin (Eds,). Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. Springer, Cham.
Samman, S. K. (2018). Supporting whole-person health: Socially just application of religion and spirituality in an outpatient care facility for individuals with chronic illnesses. In E. Esmiol Wilson & L. Nice (Eds.), Socially just religious and spiritual interventions: Ethical uses of therapeutic power. AFTA Springer Briefs.
Samman, S. K., & Moreno, J. (2018) Equifinality in family systems theory. In J. Lebow, A. Chambers, & D. Breunlin (Eds,). Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15877-8_265-1
Samman, S. K., & Seshadri, G. (2018). AAMFT approved supervisor training. In J. Lebow, A. Chambers, & D. Breunlin (Eds,). Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15877-8_655-1
Samman, S. K. (2016). Relational engagement and empowerment: Establishing a foundation to address gender and power [Doctoral dissertation, Loma Linda University]. Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects. https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/415
Knudson-Martin, C., Wells, M., & Samman, S. K. (2015). Engaging power, emotion, and context in couple therapy: Lessons learned. In C. Knudson-Martin, M. Wells, & S. Samman (Eds.), Socio-Emotional relationship therapy: Bridging emotion, societal context, and couple interaction, (pp. 145-153). New York: Springer.
Knudson-Martin, C., Wells, M., & Samman, S. K. (Eds.) (2015). Socio-Emotional relationship therapy: Bridging emotion, societal context, and couple interaction. New York: Springer.
Samman, S. K., & Knudson-Martin, C. (2015). Challenges addressing gender and power in heterosexual couple therapy: Moving disengaged males from 'I' to 'We'. In C. Knudson-Martin, M. Wells, & S. Samman (Eds.), Socio-Emotional relationship therapy: Bridging emotion, societal context, and couple interaction, (pp. 79-91). New York: Springer.
Entries, Book, and Chapter Publications
Samman, S. K. (2026, February). From control to connection: Child development, neurodiversity, & teaching through a regulated nervous system [Workshop]. Al Rashid School, Islamic Community of San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States.
Samman, S. K. (2024, May). Relational empowerment: Establishing a foundation to address gender and power [Workshop]. Monthly Masters Series in Couples Therapy: Seven More Approaches to Interviewing, Boston, MA, United States (Virtual). https://therapytrainingboston.com/couples-therapy-training-for-therapists-social-workers-counselors-mfts/
Mendelsohn, G. & Samman, S. K. (2022, June). Listening circle [Conference session]. AFTA’s 44th Annual Conference, Virtual.
Samman, S. K. & Esmiol Wilson, E. (2021, June). Coexisting in a multi-epistemological world [Conference session]. AFTA’s 43rd Annual Meeting & 1st Virtual Conferences, Virtual.
Cho, W., Gutierrez, D., Samman, S. K., Lobo, E., & Volini, L. (2021, June). Bridging our present with our histories [Opening Panel]. AFTA’s 43rd Annual Meeting & 1st Virtual Conferences, Virtual.
Samman, S. K. (2021, March). A Socio-emotional approach to gendered power in couple therapy [Workshop]. Sacramento Valley Chapter (SVC) CAMFT, Sacramento, CA, United States (Virtual).
Seshadri, G. & Samman, S. K. (2021, March). I don't have to marry my parent: Multi-racial attraction based coupling [Conference session]. IFTA’s 2021 World Therapy Congress, Virtual.
Inacay, T, & Samman, S. K. (2019, October). Intersection of nonbinary gender and Filipinx identity [Best Poster]. AAPA Conference, San Diego, CA.
Samman, S. K. (2018, June). Therapeutic activism: Countering the essentialization of Arabs, Muslims, and Middle Easterners [Conference session]. AFTA 2018 Annual Meeting & Open Conference, Austin, TX, United States.
Urquiza-Mendoza, Y., Devine, J. P., & Samman, S. K. (2018, June). Deconstruction of female orgasmic disorder [Conference session]. AFTA 2018 Annual Meeting & Open Conference, Austin, TX, United States.
Samman, S. K., & Davis, G. B. (2016, June). Relational empowerment: Establishing a foundation to address gender and power [Conference session]. AFTA 2016 Annual Meeting & Open Conference, Denver, CO, United States.
Knudson-Martin, C., & Samman, S. K. (2015, June). Empowering Couples to Counter Societal Discourses: Power, Context, and the Social Construction of Emotion [Conference session]. AFTA 2015 Annual Meeting & Open Conference, Vancouver, WA, United States.
Samman, S. K., & Knudson-Martin, C. (2014, June). Challenges addressing gender and power in heterosexual couple therapy: Moving disengaged males from 'I' to 'We' [Conference session]. AFTA 2014 Annual Meeting & Open Conference, Athens, GA, United States.
Knudson-Martin, C., Wells, M., & Samman, S. K. (2014, June). Women challenging power in heterosexual couple therapy [Conference session]. AFTA 2014 Annual Meeting & Open Conference, Athens, GA, United States.
Samman, S. K., & Parker, A. (2014, March). The impact of demographic categorizations on Middle Easterners: A critical theory analysis [Conference session]. IFTA 22nd World Congress Panama City, Panama.
Conference Presentations, Posters and Workshops
Dansby Olufowote, R., Seshadri, G, & Samman, S. K. (2022, May/June). Why your interracial/multinational couples might be dropping out of therapy: A self-of-the-therapist approach to increase retention and a discussion of related factors. Family Therapy Magazine. [Lead Feature]. https://ftm.aamft.org/why-your-interracial-multinational-couples-might-be-dropping-out-a-self-of-the-therapist-exploration-of-critical-factors/
Dansby Olufowote, R. A., Samman, S. K., Frick, H. (2022). Medical family therapy with diverse populations Part II: Understanding and treating interracial and international couples with chronic illness using Emotionally Focused MedFT. Special issue submission to the International Journal of Systemic Therapy, 33(4), 250-275. https://doi.org/10.1080/2692398X.2022.2125264
Samman, S. K., Frick, H., Dansby Olufowote, R. A. (2022). Medical family therapy with diverse populations Part I: Interracial couples navigating infertility, racialized pregnancy, and pregnancy loss. Special issue submission to the International Journal of Systemic Therapy, 33(4), 227-249. https://doi.org/10.1080/2692398X.2022.2128623
D'Arrigo‐Patrick, E., Samman, S. K., Knudson-Martin, C. (2020). Moving from 'I' to 'we': A grounded theory analysis of couple therapy with liver patients and their partners. Family Process, 59(4), 1517-1529. https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12528
Avila, A., Distelberg, B., Estrada, A., Samman, S. K., Borieux, M., Yektafar, G., & Moline, M. (2016). Developing dyadic evaluation for supervision: An exploratory factor analysis. Contemporary Family Therapy: An International Journal, 38(3), 284–294. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10591-016-9388-4
Shariff, E. M, Sinha, S, Samman, S. K., ElBakri, N. K., Siddiqui, K. A., & Mahmoud, A. A. (2013). Depression and anxiety in parents of children with epilepsy: Are fathers involved? Neurosciences, 18, 2, 183-184.
Sinha, S., Samman, S. K., Elbakry, N., Wahaas, M, Marwa, K. A., & Siddiqui, A., et al. (2009). Depression and anxiety in parents of children with epilepsy [Abstract]. Epilepsia, 50, 11, p. 233-234.
Abstract, Journal, and Magazine Publications