Samantha Carlton
Visiting Instructor
Classes Taught
- Models of Marriage and Family Therapy (FMCD 5333)
- Theories in Family and Child Studies (FMCD 5023)
- Ethics and Professional Issues in Family and Child Studies (FMCD 5363)
- Families in Crisis (FMCD 5433)
- Parent Support and Intervention (FMCD 4713/5713)
- Marriage and Intimate Relationships (FMCD 2223)
Education and Certifications
- Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy | 2013 | Cum Laude
- Bachelor of Science in Family and Child Studies | 2010
- Licensed Marital and Family Therapist | Oklahoma
- Oklahoma State-Approved LMFT Supervisor
- Emotionally Focused Therapy Certification in progress
About
While completing her bachelor's degree, Samantha Carlton was a children's camp counselor, nanny and family life educator. During her master's program, she was a case manager and family support coordinator at Family Expectations, taught parent education classes at a youth and family center, and facilitated interactive, play-based child development and early literacy classes with Smart Start of Central Oklahoma. Carlton became a licensed marital and family therapist in 2015, and has been in private practice since then.
Carlton became an adjunct instructor for UCO in 2015 and joined as full-time faculty in 2023. In addition to teaching, she works with MFT students and new professionals as an Oklahoma State-Approved LMFT supervisor and facilitator of her own LMFT Exam Prep seminars.
Interests
My clinical and research interests include:
- Self-injurious behavior and suicidality
- Emotion dysregulation
- Emotions and emotional experiencing
- Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and traits
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT)
- Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT/EFT)
- Emotionally Focused Family Therapy (EFFT)
- Complex/Developmental trauma/C-PTSD
- Supporting families and assisting them with the challenges of parenting, using Parent Management Training (PMT), Emotion-Focused Family Therapy, Emotionally Focused Family Therapy, and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), and child guidance/"gentle" parenting
- Neurodivergence in adults, particularly ADHD and autism
- Neurodivergent-affirming care
- Decolonizing therapy, social justice in therapy
- Mindfulness meditation
- Person-of-the-Therapist issues
- Students and new professionals
- Clinical supervision
- Teaching-as-learning
- Experiential learning, teaching, & therapy
Professional and Community Involvement
Professional Memberships and Involvement
- International Center for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT)
- American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) - Clinical Fellow, AAMFT Clinical Supervisor Designation in process
- Texas Association for Marriage and Family Therapists (TAMFT)
- EFT Edmonton (Canada)
- The Secular Therapy Project, former assistant director, volunteer position
- Emotionally Focused Therapy Community Circle
- Continuing education event lecturer and facilitator
Community Involvement
- Keaton's Kindness Foundation (KClub) volunteer
- Edmond Public Schools
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