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About Samantha:

A smiling woman with long brown hair, wearing glasses, a black top, and pink trousers, sits on a beige couch with a relaxed posture. She rests her hand on a pillow while holding a notebook and pen. Behind her, a neon sign reads 'The Mind Lab,' reflecting a warm, approachable, and professional atmosphere

Samantha (Arfin) Borgida, LCSW

I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the founder of The Mind Lab! I created this space for curious, motivated adults in New York and Maryland who want to break unhelpful patterns, understand themselves, and regain control of their lives.

I earned my Master’s in Social Work from NYU in 2017 and am licensed in Maryland and New York, offering virtual therapy to adults so you can do the work from anywhere - between meetings, after bedtime, or snuggling your dog (which I usually am).

I began my work as a therapist focusing on research on adolescent depression and did my clinical training in K-12 schools and adult outpatient mental health clinics, working with individuals aged 5 to 75. After graduating, I worked as a high school-based clinician helping students, families, and teachers make sense of their behaviors, access resources, and build coping skills through Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT).

After moving from NYC to Maryland in 2021, I transitioned into virtual private practice, increasing accessibility and flexibility for my clients. That’s when The Mind Lab was born!

Outside of therapy, you can find me at the gym or strolling with my adorable rescue pup, Bugsy. I enjoy spending time with friends and family, reading, and traveling to underrated small towns. My current reads are The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris and Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jess Q. Sutanto

How I will help:

I blend evidence-based therapies to help you break patterns, manage anxiety, heal from trauma, and navigate life transitions:

› Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) - Understand and reframe thoughts, emotions, and behaviors so they work for you, not against you
› Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT) - Heal from past experiences and rewire stress responses in a way that feels safe and manageable
› Internal Family Systems (IFS) - Get to know and work with different parts of yourself, so you can heal inner conflicts and feel more at peace
› Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) - Learn to sit with discomfort while still taking action toward the life you want
› Motivational Interviewing (MI) and Mindfulness - Break cycles, build healthier habits, and feel more present in your daily life

Your experiences are unique, so your therapy should be, too! At The Mind Lab, we'll create a personalized, virtual therapy experience - a space to try things out, see what works, and rework what doesn't.

No one has it all figured out (yes, inner voice, I'm talking to you!), but together, we'll help you find what works for you.

What can you expect sessions to be like:

I created The Mind Lab to help people explore new ways of thinking, feeling, and being that they may have never considered or thought possible without the right support. Therapy is about finding what works, and that applies to finding the right therapist, too!

Clients often connect with me because of my warm, engaging, and insightful approach. I see therapy like a shaken snow globe: life can feel messy and chaotic, but our work together will help you find comfort in letting it all settle. Overstimulation, anxiety, and stress are part of life. Feeling the full range of emotions just means you’re human!

So what can you expect sessions to be like?

› A purposeful and reflective space – We’ll build on past sessions, check in on lingering thoughts or challenges, and make sure you have the tools to handle life between sessions

› Practical and engaging strategies – Expect some cheesy analogies (trust me, they stick!) and creative resources that make complex therapeutic concepts feel more tangible

› Flexibility in the process – Some days, the work is learning to sit with challenging emotions. On other days, you might just need a space to vent, reflect, or take a break from the intensity and demands of life

› A safe and supportive environment – Clients often come in feeling overwhelmed and leave saying, “Wow, I really didn’t want to show up today, but I’m so glad I did. I feel relieved to have spoken about that and made sense of it and just getting it off my chest."

You are capable of doing hard things. And you don't have to do them alone - because therapy isn’t about perfection, it’s about growth, resilience, and self-compassion. So let's shake things up, together!

Credentialing:

NPI #1811406226

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), New York #091091

Licensed Certified Social Worker-Clinical (LCSW-C), Maryland #28470

Certification in Mindfulness in Schools

Certification in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)

Certification in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

Let's Do This!

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