Meet
Sam Mavis, LMFT #123012
Sam Mavis is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist who has been part of The Ludington Institute since 2018. She specializes in individual and couples therapy for adults navigating mid-life transitions, identity exploration, relationship challenges, family systems, and recovery from childhood attachment trauma. Sam works from a body-mind lens and is trained in EMDR, helping clients deepen their connection to themselves and to those they love.
Before becoming a therapist, Sam had a vibrant creative career as a writer, director, and actor. She is a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and brings this creative sensibility into her therapeutic work—helping clients access curiosity, insight, and emotional truth. She earned her master’s degree in Marriage & Family Therapy from Phillips Graduate Institute and later her EMDR Certification from the Trauma Therapist Institute.
Sam lives with her husband, three children, and four dogs. Her personal and professional life is grounded in connection, authenticity, and the belief that transformation is always possible—especially when we feel truly seen and supported.
A Calm, Grounded Space to Heal and Grow
Clients often tell me they feel like they can finally exhale when they sit with me — like they’ve arrived somewhere safe. That’s intentional. I create a space where you are fully accepted, never judged, and always supported. Where your story matters. Where your pain has context. And where change — real, lasting transformation — can begin.
My style is warm, intuitive, and direct. I hold the complexities of your experience with deep care and compassion, while also helping you move toward clarity, strength, and new possibilities.
Why I Do This Work
I believe that healing happens in relationship — in the safety of being seen, heard, and held. Whether you're struggling with old wounds that never quite healed or navigating the messy middle of mid-life, you deserve to feel alive, empowered, and whole.
Through evidence-based approaches like EMDR, and a relational, client-centered foundation, I support clients as they reconnect with who they truly are — beyond the pain, the patterns, or the past.
Credentials + Training
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Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT)
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EMDR Therapist
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Based at The Ludington Institute, Westlake Village, CA
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Available for both in-person and online therapy
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Phillips Graduate University – Master in M.A.
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New York University, TISCH School of the Arts – Bachelor of Fine Arts
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EMDR – Trauma Therapist Institute
