Dr. Sammi Siegel Ph.D., LHMC

Mental Health Counselor

Specializing in:

• Eating Disorders
• Greif, Loss and Bereavement
• IBD Disorders

Population:

• Adolescents / Teenagers (14 to 19)
• Adults
• Elders (65+)

Availability:

• Mon – Fri 9:00 - 5:00 

My name is Sammi L. Siegel and I began my career as a Music Therapist with the Adolescent Division of Psychiatry at Miami Children’s Hospital. After completing my PhD in Music Therapy, I moved to Michigan where I served as the Director of Music Therapy at Wayne State University in Detroit and The University of Windsor in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

After teaching for several years, I decided to go back to school to augment my knowledge base and skill-set in Humanistic and Clinical Psychology at the Michigan School of Professional Psychology. Because of my deep interest in the mind-body relationship, I also completed a graduate certificate in Complementary Medicine and Wellness at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan.

At the time that I began a private psychotherapy practice, I had the opportunity to specialize in Eating Disorders. Although I work with the entire spectrum of Eating Disorders, I am most passionate about working with individuals who struggle with compulsive overeating, binge-eating disorder, and those who have or are considering surgical options for weight loss. Since I do not focus on weight loss, per se, I do help with examining ones relationship with food and the meaning that food holds in ones life. In my office, there is absolutely no judgment or criticism, only a deep search of understanding and working through change, in a compassionate and caring environment.

In addition to working in my office with individuals who struggle with eating disorders, I also worked at the Oliver-Pyatt Center for Eating Disorders in South Miami for Eight Years. I run groups in Spirituality and Music Meditation. The Oliver-Pyatt Center is a Comprehensive Treatment Center offering a high level of care for women with Eating Disorders. For more information about the Oliver-Pyatt Center, click here .

In addition to helping those who struggle with food related issues, I also specialize in working with families going through divorce. Of course, I wish I could save every marriage in which there is conflict. Since I understand that divorce may just be the best decision for a family, I work to minimize the collateral damage that can occur during an emotionally-charged process. I work with the children as they go through this turbulent time as well as work very closely with the parents on appropriately parenting your child going through the divorcing process. I am a Florida Supreme Court Certified Parenting Coordinator and I work with high-conflict divorce issues. In addition, I specialize in Collaborative Divorce Process, a model of divorce that is solution-focused and seeks to preserve the long-term interests of families. It is a process whereby dignity and self-esteem are protected and well-being of all family members is maintained. For more information on Collaborative Divorce Process, click here or go the the blog section on Divorce.

While living in Michigan, I became very active volunteering with the Crohns and Colitis Foundation (CCFA). For several summers, I served as the camp psychologist at Camp Oasis, the CCFA national camps for children and adolescents with Crohns and/or Ulcerative Colitis. These summers at camp were the most meaningful week in the year for me. Seeing these kids just wanting to live their lives with normalcy, sharing the experience with other kids who completely understand what they are going through, and not accepting feeling sorry for themselves, was transforming. After moving to Florida, I found the Florida chapter of the CCFA to be a wealth of resources for people living with these diseases. I have volunteered to help with the Take Steps walks and I have served on the Medical Advisory Committee, as well as speaking at their annual Marcus Educational Seminar. I work with people with these Inflammatory Bowel Diseases on the psycho-social adjustments that need to be addressed to live a full and symptom-free life. For more information on IBD or the CCFA, click here.

Certified Divorce Specialist

Dr. Sammi Siegel has been working with families in transition for over 20 years. She has served as a frequent speaker on parenting your child(ren) through the divorcing process in the family courts in Michigan, and as a Collaborative Mental Health Professional in Florida facilitating the Collaborative Divorce process. Most recently, Dr. Siegel completed a training that increased her knowledge of communication skills from a holistic approach to the divorcing process. In addition, through the National Association of Divorce Professionals, Dr. Siegel has gained a village of professionals who share the same values of coming together in a productive and positive way to assist families in these transitions.