Sam Harkness, LCSW
Therapy for adults and adolescents in Whitefish, Montana.
Weather tough times, build stronger relationships, find a sense of purpose.
See available times →“The most fundamental aggression to ourselves, the most fundamental harm we can do to ourselves, is to remain ignorant by not having the courage and the respect to look at ourselves honestly and gently.”
— Pema Chödrön, When Things Fall Apart (1997)
People come to therapy for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes it’s a pattern in relationships you can see but can’t stop, or thoughts, feelings and memories that you can’t escape. It may be more absence than presence of something— feelings of emptiness, hopelessness, numbness and indecision. You don’t need to show up with a clear explanation of the problem to get started. I’ll ask questions, listen carefully, and we can start to build a complete understanding of you together. I won’t try to talk you out of anything, or convince you of my own beliefs. What I can offer is the chance to look at yourself in a gentle and unflinching way, and to find a path towards a life worth living.
Sitting together is the foundation, but it isn’t the whole of what therapy offers. I bring training and experience to bear; I will work with you to develop an understanding of your situation, and draw on specific treatment approaches when they fit. For PTSD, depression and anxiety that work can either be relatively present-focused practical work to alleviate symptoms or a deeper focus on childhood and the subconscious. For longstanding patterns in relationships, identity, and attachment, the work is often slower, less structured, and more relational. I’ll share how I understand your situation as we go, and we will develop an approach together based on what makes sense to you.
About Sam
Sam Harkness, LCSW
Before earning my Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Montana in 2018, I spent more than a decade working in outdoor leadership and school settings. Since then I have worked in residential, acute psychiatric, homelessness and public policy. Whether you come in with vague feelings of discontent or symptoms you can’t quite make sense of, or you have a very clear idea of what’s wrong and what you need, I am happy to work with you. I value collaboration and prefer to work transparently, sharing my understanding of your situation and helping you draw on your own expertise and insight as we go. I opened Big Mountain Mental Health in 2023 in order to offer therapy in a more flexible and client-centered way that reflects my values as a therapist.
Areas of Focus
Trauma & PTSD
I work extensively with trauma, including PTSD and complex or developmental trauma. Trauma often shows up in ways people don’t immediately associate with their history. The world often seems to get smaller because we avoid situations that bring up painful feelings, and we can continue to blame ourselves long after the initial shock of an event has passed. PTSD is often much more treatable than survivors realize, and relief can come relatively fast.
Learn more →Anxiety
Anxiety can be constant worry that moves from one thing to the next, or it can show up as panic attacks, physical tension, or a sense of dread with no clear object. Most people respond by avoiding anxiety triggers, which brings relief but can worsen anxiety over time. We can work together to help you realistically assess how worried to be, and return to living a fuller life.
Learn more →Depression
Depression is often experienced less as sadness than as an absence of hope and vitality. You don’t need energy, motivation, or a positive attitude to start therapy. I will meet you where you are, and we can work from there.
Learn more →Attachment & Relationship Issues
Attachment styles that worked for us early in life can leave us stuck in frustrating or unhealthy patterns in adult relationships. I can help you build more stable relationships and resolve long-term inner conflicts.
Learn more →Personality Problems
For many people there is no easy distinction between symptoms like a depressed mood or excessive anxiety and the personality patterns that shape how we relate to others and ourselves. There is more to do about it than you might realize.
Learn more →Fertility & Assisted Reproduction
Fertility problems are medically exhausting and isolating in ways that are hard to explain to people who haven’t been through them. I offer supportive counseling and ASRM evaluations.
Learn more →Adolescence & Parenting
I work with adolescents ages 14–18, and have worked with adolescents and families more extensively than any other population. I work with adolescents on issues like depression, anxiety, trauma, self-esteem and identity. Typically work with adolescents includes an element of working on family communication, building healthy independence, and offering help for parents on the challenges of parenting a teenager.
Learn more →Self-Esteem & Identity
Perhaps you view yourself as somehow “less than” those around you, you know you’re not living as your authentic self, or you simply don’t know who you are. Therapy can be a safe place to release yourself from harsh judgement, guilt and shame, and come to accept true things you haven’t learned to express yet.
Learn more →Rates & Insurance
In network with most major insurers, including Blue Cross Blue Shield and Aetna. See the full list →
Availability
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