Sam Powers

Here's a little more about me... I was born and raised in Tampa, Florida and attended college at Virginia Tech, where I earned my bachelor’s degree in Military History. Upon graduation, I commissioned as an officer into the US Air Force.

 

I am a combat veteran of US Air Force Special Operations, where I served as an Aircraft Maintenance officer on the C-130 Gunship Spectres. I served at Hurlburt Field, FL in garrison and in Kuwait, Afghanistan, and Iraq in theater during Operation Enduring Freedom. I separated from the USAF in 2007. While I was serving in the US Air Force, I earned my first master’s degree in International Relations.

 

I began my post-military career in the field of higher education, working in Facilities/Physical Plant Operations as an administrative manager, then Continuing Education, then Student Veteran Life. I collectively have 15 years of experience with students and student veterans in the higher education community, where my duties were largely social work-oriented. Along the way, I earned my Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership.

 

I have delivered customized and continuing education training on veteran-related topics in higher education, veteran best practices, and invisible wounds such as post-traumatic stress disorder and issues related to traumatic brain injuries and military sexual trauma to thousands of participants in Washington state and beyond.  

 

I am an avid teacher by nature. In addition to all of the workshop facilitation I have done and continue to do, I have taught for 4 colleges and universities in topics such as Organizational Leadership, Emergency Management, and Social Work as an adjunct professor. I continue to teach to this day.

 

As a Master Trainer for the Center for Dependable Strengths©, I have additional experience facilitating workshops to help folks discover the strengths they’ve had within them all along. I help folks figure out how to use these to get into fields of work they will love, how to use them in every day life, and how to focus on life from a strengths-based perspective, thereby resulting in satisfaction and happiness in life.

 

In an attempt to fill a gap in the community for affordable, insurance-covered therapy for veterans and their families, I decided to go back to school while working full time to earn my MSW. I completed this in 2020 and have been working on hours towards my full LICSW licensure since then. I plan to complete the licensure process by the end of 2023.

 

As a social worker outside of the higher education context, I have worked in the Emergency Room environment as a social work case manager for the Swedish Medical Center complex. This includes partnering with patients, families and the health care team to address and advocate for patients' social and emotional needs. It also includes providing a full range of social work services including but not limited to psychosocial assessment, treatment planning, therapeutic interventions, discharge planning, crisis intervention, and resource referral.

 

Finally, I have created this practice as a way to offer affordable, insurance-covered therapeutic assistance to those who wish to work with me. While I specialize in treatment of veterans and their families, I also work with students, women, and anyone who seems like they might be a good fit upon doing an initial intake and assessment with me.