Dr. Sam Haghighi

I’ve spent most of my life in the Pacific Northwest, and as a first-generation American, my journey has been shaped by a wide range of experiences. I earned my PhD in Counseling Psychology from Washington State University in 2021. What first drew me to psychology was recognizing it as an applied science—something that could make sense of human experiences in a practical, meaningful way. Since then, my path has taken many turns, and at every step I’ve come to believe even more strongly that there’s no such thing as “irrationality.” Every thought, emotion, behavior, and decision is part of a cause-and-effect dynamic. When something seems irrational, it usually means we just haven’t looked closely enough. My goal as a therapist is to help my clients uncover these deeper patterns, so they can better understand themselves and move forward with clarity and compassion.

In my practice, I’ve dedicated a significant part of my career to working with survivors of various forms of trauma, including sexual assault. My experience also spans working with mood and anxiety disorders, trauma-related disorders, and supporting the LGBTQ+ community, particularly trans clients. These experiences have enriched my understanding and approach, allowing me to provide a supportive, affirming space for all my clients.

Everyone’s life is a wondrous story, shaped by a unique blend of experiences, biology, and culture. Along this path, many of us carry wounds from unmet emotional needs, which can manifest as insecurities, personality traits, or mental health challenges.

I strive to create a safe, judgment-free space where we can collaborate to disentangle these threads. Together, we’ll explore the experiences that have shaped you, connect the dots to make sense of what may seem contradictory, and facilitate a deeper understanding of your journey. I challenge my clients with empathy, ensuring they feel supported and never judged. My goal is to transform insights into practical steps for daily life, offering realistic hope and guiding you through your healing journey. I emphasize that while the path may be challenging, it’s absolutely possible.

I generally approach therapy through Interpersonal Process Therapy and Compassion-Focused Therapy, conceptualizing from an attachment perspective. This means we explore how early life experiences and relationships shape present-day patterns—both outside and within the therapy space itself. I also draw from a range of modalities, including nearly four years of experience with ACT, CBT, and DBT skills groups and therapy, allowing me to adapt to each client’s unique needs and goals.

In our work together, you can expect a focus on two main areas. One area involves exploring five core ideas that help us understand emotional wounds: 1) People are inherently rational; every action and decision to avoid pain is logical. 2) Emotions, as logical responses, are informative. 3) Unmet emotional needs result in pain and suffering. 4) Shame and self-criticism prolong this pain. 5) Healing involves acknowledging emotional pain, recognizing and accepting the underlying unmet emotional needs, and strategizing to find healthy ways to meet them effectively.

The other focus is on cultivating genuine, deep self-compassion. This means going beyond being superficially kind to ourselves, to truly understanding our younger selves and recognizing the reasons behind our decisions and actions. It’s about acknowledging that, in many of the decisions we regret and cringe at when we remember them, desperation often played a significant role—and offering ourselves the same understanding and care we would extend to others.