I’m Samar (pronounced Summer)

My journey into psychotherapy didn’t begin in a therapy room, but in a laboratory. I spent over a decade working as an embryologist, supporting individuals and couples through fertility treatment. While I was deeply committed to this work, it wasn’t until I went through IVF myself that I truly understood the emotional weight of the experience. Despite my professional background, I found the process incredibly challenging, and it shifted something in me.

That experience led me to train in fertility counselling, where I began supporting others navigating infertility, pregnancy loss, and the complexities of trying to conceive. I later worked with Fertility Network UK, facilitating a support group for ethnic minority communities, where I witnessed first-hand the layered emotional, cultural, and relational challenges many people face.

Through this work, I often encountered complex and deeply personal issues that extended beyond fertility alone. This inspired me to further my training in relationship and psychosexual psychotherapy in the UK, allowing me to support individuals and couples in a more holistic and meaningful way.

I am particularly passionate about working with couples trying to conceive, as well as individuals navigating identity, belonging, and relationships across cultures. As someone of Irish-Egyptian heritage, I understand what it means to exist between worlds. I often found it difficult to find therapists who truly understood both sides of my identity, and this has shaped my commitment to supporting those who feel they live in these in-between, or “liminal,” spaces, including third culture individuals and intercultural couples.

My work is rooted in empathy, cultural sensitivity, and a deep respect for each person’s unique story.