Are you tired of gaslighting yourself about your feelings of same-sex attraction?

“Shame. Guilt. Loneliness. Fear. Grief. All while feeling emotionally numb. “What’s wrong with me?”

This headspace is where I lived during my marriage of 13 years to a man and it followed me into my divorce. I struggled to live in my truth and felt guilty dragging our child through this ugly process. I knew I had to work on myself first but was lost on where to begin.

Then I stumbled upon Samantha’s Instagram page and instantly felt validated and heard. Although scared, I joined her Unbox Your Sexuality program a few months later and it was life changing.

Coming “out” is very much an internal process. This program challenges you to look inward toward your experiences to see why and how to move through your struggles.

I learned how to recognize compulsory heterosexuality, internalized homophobia, misogyny, patriarchal expectations and so so so much more. I was able to connect the dots and had so many aha moments as if everything finally clicked.

Samantha was knowledgeable, welcoming, warm, comforting and relatable as she helped guide us on our journey of self-discovery.

Since completing the program, I have found accepting and loving myself much easier. Labels have lost the negative connotation and rigidity I once struggled with. I’m starting to embrace my own personal style. I learned to recognize my own emotions, learn what they’re truly trying to say and how to work with them. And I find myself utilizing my “adult energy” much more to better handle situations. For once I can honestly say I’m excited for the future— almost giddy like a teenager. I thought I had lost that at 44 years of age. But now I’m going on a trip next summer with a group of queer peers and I’m no longer afraid. This experience has been transformational and I’m so glad to have had Sam there to guide me! And I need you to know there is happiness on the other side of vulnerability. You just have to move through the process.❤️”

—Lisa D.

“I first worked with Samantha in a previous incarnation of her current “Unbox Your Sexuality” small group program. I desperately needed to find a way to work through all of the different conditioning I had experienced and internalized in my 51 years, and starting from scratch, learning on my own even with an excellent (straight) therapist was painfully slow. The group program quickly established a small, intimate community with an enormous sense of trust where I was able to openly discuss what I was going through as we worked through the well thought out and organized modules Samantha has built up through all of her work with women coming out late in life, informed by her own experience…. I am certain that program saved me YEARS in working through and processing so much - and learning to accept and love myself without worrying nearly as much about how I am perceived and what others (my family in particular) think of me. It was exactly what I needed to take the next hard steps of really listening to my body and moving forward in a much more wholly authentic existence. Following the program, I opted to take my self work to another level with 1:1 work - but I missed the regular touch points of the group and the closeness of the community (even though my cohort has largely stayed in touch and we still meet occasionally on our own - it wasn’t the same). The Sapphic Circle has been an amazing vehicle for trusted valued feedback in community with women at all different stages of coming out (and into our own selves) with moderation and active support from Samantha. The treasured friendships I’ve developed in the last year of working with Samantha and in the community she’s built and continues to evolve are truly priceless. I can’t imagine where I’d be right now without her and the women in the circle” -Michelle, 51

“I convinced myself I was bi as the truth was too shameful and painful to grasp: I was only attracted to women and I was trapped in a straight marriage of 25 years with 3 kids. Coming out to myself, my husband, kids, parents, and friends is the hardest thing I've ever done. I'm approaching my 1st anniversary and am still trying to absorb how profoundly lucky I am to be where I am today. Samantha has changed my life. During Bootcamp, I entered what felt like a secret world full of answers and realized these answers were always there in plain sight but I had to learn how to see them. Samantha is helping me unpack a lifetime of baggage in my 1:1 sessions. With her guidance, I'm learning to set boundaries and have difficult conversations with family and friends which is leading to much deeper relationships. I'm about to return for a 3rd round of Sapphic Support Circle with many of the same beautiful and supportive women I met in Bootcamp a year ago. Now they feel like dear, lifelong friends. As someone said yesterday, Samantha is like our gay fairy godmother. That, she is!” -Ann, 52

“Working with Samantha doing 1:1 coaching has been such a productive investment in my emotional health. I had been trying to work through this quandary on my own, but I kept ending up paralyzed by fear and unable to move through indecision to a healthier place. Samantha’s skill in asking just the right question at just the right time allowed me to get clarity on the best ways to progress forward. Being able to access her through asynchronous coaching between live sessions kept me feeling fully supported, like she had her hand on my back the whole time. It was an incredible relief to share with someone who truly understood (from personal experience) and such a benefit to have her coaching enhanced by her training & experience as a LMFT. I am definitely going to join the Married, Questioning and Coming Out group now so I can continue to evolve my understanding of myself and build community for my future.” — Trish B., Jasper, Canada

“The Beyond Straight Community has been a really emotional and important part of my journey these past several months. Coming out hasn’t been just one moment for me. It’s been layered and, honestly, at times overwhelming.

What made the difference was having a space where I could be fully honest without feeling judged or like I had to explain myself. That allowed me to start facing parts of myself I didn’t fully understand before.

Along the way, I’ve met so many incredible women. There were those first “ah-ha” moments of connection where you just feel seen without having to say much at all. That’s something I didn’t even realize I needed.

My circle has grown in a way I never expected. I now have people across the country I genuinely call friends, people I can text, pick up the phone, and instantly feel connected to. That kind of community is rare, there really is nothing else like it.

Through all of this, I’ve learned to sit with my feelings instead of pushing them away. I’ve realized my identity isn’t something to question or hide! It’s something I can accept with compassion.

I’m still growing and figuring things out, but I’m doing it with more honesty, more courage, and a deeper sense of who I am than I’ve ever had before. Beyond Straight, along with the deep work I did with Samantha through the Unbox Your Sexuality® program truly changed my life.

There’s still more growth ahead, but the foundation has been laid and I’m incredibly grateful.

As to where I am now - in a space of confidence. In who I am and where I am going. My inner self matches my outer self. My next chapter while so many pages are still be written - I’m so excited to venture out on my own. Feeling true depth of friendship to finding and sharing a beautiful relation with a woman for time first time. Magical!”

Buffy