Samantha Disador

MA, LCAT, RDT #002372

Trauma-Informed Care

Young Adults

Children & Families

Client Focus: Children, Families, Young Adults, Trauma Survivors

Specialties: Trauma-informed care, children and families, young adults, social skills coaching, educational challenges, grief and loss, identity development, social-emotional development

Treatment Methods: Drama Therapy, Strengths-Based Approach, CANY Model, Psychodrama, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), EMDR (in training), Internal Family Systems (IFS), DBT

Samantha Disador is a Licensed Creative Arts Therapist and Registered Drama Therapist who specializes in helping children, families, and young adults cultivate their creativity to facilitate growth and empowerment. She primarily works with children and their families, understanding that it's essential for caretakers to explore their own stories and understand how to strengthen and prune their roots in order to facilitate their child's ongoing growth as a teammate in the unit. Many people are intimidated by the idea of drama therapy, thinking "I'm not an actor," but Samantha approaches therapy like a theater production; not everyone needs to be an actor to lead growth. There are lighting and set designers, choreographers, stage crew members, and musicians. The goal is for all to come together using and developing their strengths to complete set goals.

Her therapeutic approach is primarily strengths-based, utilizing the CANY model, Psychodrama, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Internal Family Systems (IFS) interventions to best match clients' needs. Samantha believes one size does not fit all, so it's important to be informed about different modalities that may be a match. Through arts-based intervention and talk therapy, clients explore and develop their creativity and sense of power in their world. Her trauma-informed approach uses didactic tools from drama therapy to engage the body and brain connection, while her work with children and families focuses on engaging social-emotional development and language to assist families in empowering their unit.

With a Master's degree in Drama Therapy from New York University, Samantha is a Licensed Creative Arts Therapist in New York State and a Registered Drama Therapist through the North American Drama Therapy Association. She has extensive training in working through a trauma-informed lens in the Department of Education and in victim services spaces, with specialized training in Psychodrama, TF-CBT, IFS, DBT, and is currently in the process of obtaining her EMDR certification. Samantha's background as a performer informs her therapeutic work. She expressed herself and gained perspective through different roles, developed spontaneity and humor through improvisation, honed commitment and time management through structure, and made lasting friendships within created communities. She felt powerful and resilient, knowing she was strong at something within the world of the play.

Outside the therapy room, Samantha loves to connect with culture by visiting museums, seeing shows, going to parks, or visiting the library. She is a professional car-trip Broadway belter and was involved in the Long Island community and children's theater scene.

  • Theater as Metaphor for Life
    Samantha grew up on the stage and identified tremendously with Shakespeare's metaphor that "all the world is a stage." As a performer, she discovered direct power in engaging in theater and now asks: what if we can bring some of these strength-engaging tools and techniques to people who seek empowerment for their self-worth and emotional well-being? Her philosophy is to explore and develop your strengths to further understand your goals as the main character of your story.

  • Body-Brain Connection Through Drama
    Samantha uses didactic tools from drama therapy to engage the body and brain connection in trauma-informed care. This approach allows clients to process trauma through embodied creative expression rather than relying solely on verbal processing, making healing accessible in ways that talk therapy alone cannot achieve.

  • Family as Unit
    In her work with children and families, Samantha engages social-emotional development and language to assist families in empowering their unit. She understands that caretakers need to explore their own stories and strengthen their roots as teammates in the family system, recognizing that a child's growth happens within the context of family dynamics and relationships.

"As a performer, I expressed myself and gained perspective through different roles, developed spontaneity and humor through improvisation, honed a sense of commitment and time management through structure in scheduling and memorization, and made long-lasting friendships within created communities. I felt powerful and resilient knowing that I was strong at something within the world of the play. If there is direct power in engaging in theater, I now ask, as a drama therapy practitioner, what if we can bring some of these strength-engaging tools and techniques to people who seek empowerment for their self-worth and emotional well-being?"

- Samantha Disador, MA, LCAT, RDT