Hi, I’m Sam! 👋🏻 I’m a positive psychology practitioner and writer based in Portland, Oregon. 🌿
It all started with a blog, a mission, and a really bad pun.
In 2014, it was more than apparent that a disproportionate number of us in the LGBTQ+ community were struggling with our mental health… and not enough of us were talking about it openly.
As a teen who couldn’t find the resources to support me in my darkest hour, I knew that my community lacked safe spaces to talk about our experiences with mental health. We needed and deserved more than crisis hotlines. It was time to queer mental health. 🧠
That’s why I launched Let’s Queer Things Up!, a blog exploring mental health and wellness in our community. And almost immediately, thousands of emails and millions of readers started pouring in from around the world.
Inspired by the determination and grit of our community, I took a leap of faith. I dropped out of grad school to become a health journalist and positive psychology practitioner — and I haven’t looked back since. Now I help queer and trans people (and their allies!) build resiliency skills through coaching and digital publishing. 🏳️🌈
And it’s the coolest job in the world.
Writer. Wellness Coach. Psychology Nerd.
Driven to make an even greater impact, I went on to co-found the Queer Resilience Collective.
QRC is a wellness educational initiative that offers coaching, webinars, and digital resources for queer and transgender people to lead more joyful, meaningful lives.
My experience as a journalist and (clinically) obsessive researcher also led to my current role as Lead Editor of Mental Health and Chronic Conditions at Healthline.com, the largest health information publisher worldwide. 📚
In my work there, I’ve crafted progressive, inclusive resources to strengthen the mental health of vulnerable communities. Most recently, I collaborated and crafted content for our new Mental Health Hub.
I’m now pursuing my practitioner’s certificate at the School of Positive Transformation, sharpening my skills as a peer support coach. I take enormous pride in supporting those who feel “stuck” in survival mode, or anyone who’s wondering if life has more to offer.
Spoiler alert: It does. 💡
It’s time to reclaim wellness —
and make it work for all of us.
I’m here to help you tap into your own creativity and self-efficacy to build a life worth living.
You deserve to do more than just “cope.” You deserve to thrive. ☀️
