Serein [suh-ran]/ səˈræn /

1. French Adjective: qui est à la fois pur et calme (translation, serene: what is at once pure and calm)

2. Noun: fine rain falling after sunset from a sky in which no clouds are visible.

Sam Allouche Shaw, PhD, LP

Hi, I'm Sam, a psychologist living and working in New Orleans.

Born in France and raised in New York, I grew up moving between cultures and environments. That experience shaped my sensitivity to how context impacts people’s internal lives, and sparked a lifelong curiosity about resilience, suffering, and change.

Before pursuing psychology, I worked as a lower school teacher and yoga instructor for kids and adults. Those roles reinforced what I still believe: healing is both embodied and relational—it lives in how we think, feel, connect, and move through the world.

I earned my PhD in School Psychology at Louisiana State University, trained in the Cultural Responsiveness and Implementation Science Lab, and later completed a Fellowship in Infant and Child Mental Health at LSU Health Sciences Center. Over time, my work expanded to include adults, allowing me to support clients across the lifespan. I am versed in behaviorial, cognitive, psychodynamic, and internal family systems modalities. All my work is culturally responsive and trauma-informed.

Today, as the founder of Serein Psychology, I bring this background into a holistic, relational approach to therapy. I believe you already carry within you the clarity, wisdom, and energy needed to heal. My role is to help you access that inner capacity by exploring the patterns, relationships, and systems that shape your life—so you can move toward more freedom, coherence, and ease.

A few things that help us work well together:

You’re curious about your internal world, and you’re ready to shift something—big or small.
You’re open to learning, unlearning, and changing your mind (even just a little).
You’re willing to meet yourself with both integrity and warmth.

Rooted in science and guided by heart, Serein Psychology supports your movement toward greater alignment, clarity, and steadiness. Healing within, healing between-- find your serene.

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