Samantha Apel, PsyD is a clinical psychologist with a diverse background and training in forensics, health psychology, and functional medicine.
She earned her undergraduate degree in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After college, Dr. Apel started her career as a fundraiser, coordinating the MS Walk for National Multiple Sclerosis Society in Maryland. After working to raise money for programs and research to help individuals with MS, she left fundraising to pursue opportunities to work directly with individuals impacted by life stressors.
Dr. Apel earned a master’s degree from The Johns Hopkins University, and a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Loyola College (now Loyola University Maryland). She has been a licensed clinical psychologist since 2007 and has worked in community mental health, inpatient, emergency room, and outpatient treatment settings. She has also taught courses as an adjunct faculty member at several universities. She worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs for 11 years, as a treating psychologist, clinical supervisor, evaluator, and health educator.
After years of seeing individuals not feeling better, not meeting goals, and becoming frustrated with their treatment, she pursued training in functional medicine to help patients take control of their mental health through changes in diet, lifestyle, self-care, and stress management. Dr. Apel believes that mental health concerns are best addressed looking at the whole person and the system(s) in which they live.
Dr. Apel is passionate about empowering individuals to heal themselves with changes in lifestyle and attention to self-care. For those who have tried medication for mental health or medical problems without much success, she can incorporate her functional medicine training into a treatment plan that complements more traditional approaches to therapy. There are no one-size-fits-all treatment modalities and she will tailor your treatment to each individual’s needs and goals.
Dr. Apel is thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with Drs. Paddock and Runde who share the same philosophy to treating medical conditions that she does to mental health conditions.
Every chance she gets, Dr. Apel likes to try new recipes, exercise, travel, and watch her beloved Tar Heels. She lives with her husband, two children, and one very sweet dog.