What patients are saying
Overall rating
4.93
Average wait time
4.80
Bedside manner
4.87
“5 stars.
Sam is incredible. From the very first session, he didn’t waste any time—he got right to the heart of things and guided us into meaningful, productive conversation. It was by far the most helpful first session I’ve ever had with a therapist. We covered ground that usually takes 3–5 sessions with others. He clearly knows his stuff, and my fiancé and I are looking forward to continuing to work with him. Highly recommend!”
Alyssa P.July 25, 2025Video visit
“Protect this man at all costs. He is the best therapist I have seen in my lifetime. Such a knowledgeable man!”
Emily I.July 17, 2023
About Dr. Samuel Alibrando
Focus areas
Anxiety
Family Therapy/ Marriage Therapy
Relationship Counseling
Depression
Infidelity Counseling
Sex Addiction
Divorce Counseling
Psychotherapy
Clientele seen
Teenagers (13-17)
Seniors (65+)
Families
Young adults (18-24)
Individuals
Adults (25-64)
Couples
Treatment approaches
Attachment-based
Existential
Clinical Supervision and Licensed Supervisors
Family / Marital
Coaching
Family Systems
Identity
Gender
MaleSexuality
StraightEthnicity
White
Languages spoken
English
Getting to know Dr. Samuel Alibrando
Sam has worked with individuals and families as a therapist for over 35 years—first as a marriage and family therapist, and then as a clinical psychologist. He strongly believes in a process of “collaborative healing” where the client and the professional team up to bring about a therapeutic and growing process together.
Sam Alibrando is also an author. His seminal work on the change process is *Follow the Yellow Brick Road: How to Change for the Better When Life Gives You Its Worst*. His newest award-winning book, *The 3 Dimensions of Emotions*, offers a new way to understand emotional intelligence and find your relational “sweet spot”—the dynamic intersection of power, heart, and mindfulness.
Education
Sam received his bachelor’s degree from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and earned his PhD in Psychology from Biola University’s Rosemead School of Psychology. He served as an adjunct professor at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology in Los Angeles, where he taught executive coaching. He has also served as an associate clinical professor at Fuller’s Graduate School of Psychology in Pasadena, California. Dr. Alibrando was a member of the Board of Directors of Rose City Center, a non-profit that offers quality in-depth psychotherapy to underserved communities on a sliding scale.
What should a new client know about working with you?
I see therapy as a collaboration. It is something that we do together –whether as two committed individuals or me as a facilitator engaged with you and your loved one(s). You should know that I am an active and engaging therapist. I don’t just sit back and reflect feelings. I make observations, I explore possibilities and I am not afraid to tell you what I think. But at the same time, I deeply value and work with your unique experience and feelings. I respect you as a person and your need to take responsibility for yourself. I will not direct your life but I am not hesitant to share what I know.
I value and employ humor when appropriate in my work. Humor allows us to look at things in a fresh way. Psychotherapy is serious work but there’s every reason for therapy to be fun at times.
I am not cheap. I’ve been doing this for almost 40 years and I am good at what I do. I see a limited number of people and charge a competitive rate for someone at my level.
Because of my extensive experience there are many issues that I can confidently work with and when I can’t I am keen on making a referral. I do have one area of expertise that is somewhat unique. Because of my work as an organizational consultant (executive coaching, employee selection, leadership & team development), I have a unique approach with people who are dealing with both personal and business issues.
What is your typical process for working with clients?
During the initial consultation, I will explore with you what you are looking for from psychotherapy. I will do this in the context of your current and historical life. I do this intuitively, exploring different aspects of your life –personally, relationally, relevant family or origin, medically/physically and as it relates to your career/work.
I will likely invite you to take the free inventory from my book as a way to have a common language.
After the initial consultation we each decide if we can/want to work together. (I do not assume that we’re a good fit until we meet and explore your needs and my ability to help you.) If we decide to work together, we will then come up with a treatment plan including our schedule. Most often we start off once a week. However sometimes we’ll do more often or less often depending on your need, ability to pay and schedule.
I work both virtually –online using venues like Zoom– and in-person in my Pasadena office. I am comfortable doing either venue.
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In-network insurances
Dr. Samuel Alibrando has +46 in-network plans.
Don’t see your insurance?
It’s common for mental health providers to be out-of-network. Many insurance plans offer out-of-network coverage, so you may get partially reimbursed. Learn more
Out-of-pocket fees and assistance
Initial session: $140 for 60 minutes
Ongoing session: $220-280 for 55 minutes
- Files your insurance claim: You pay the session fee upfront and the provider files the claim for you, so you can get reimbursed directly without worrying about the paperwork
More information on payments and coverage
I can electronically bill insurance for you, but I do not take insurance as payment. The insurance will either reimburse you directly or if they send the payment to us, it will lower your balance.
Please note, I do not have the typical 24/48-hour cancelation policy where you must pay if you miss a session within the 24/48-hour window. Instead, I have a reschedule policy. You are obligated to pay for the missed session, but you have the option to reschedule it (which can include options such as two sessions in a week, a couple extended sessions, or a double session).
For some people we set up a Monthly Retainer Plan where we agree on a set number of sessions per month. (We can change the number of times per month at any time.) The benefit of this plan is that it takes away any confusion around cancelations, designates the necessary frequency for success and has a fee reduction built into it. Please ask if you’re interested.
Unless we establish other arrangements, I ask for payment each session (or we do the Monthly Retainer Plan). I accept payments by check or Zelle. I provide a statement each month which lists scheduled sessions, your personal payments, and any third-party payments (e.g., from insurance) for the last few months. I ask people to pay off any balance after receiving the statement.
At this time, I am not taking managed care or sliding scale but if necessary, we can adjust your fee by reducing the number of sessions per month and the length of sessions – as long as it does not aversively effect your treatment.
Office location
Dr. Samuel Alibrando, PhD also offers online video visits for patients
Education and background
Practice names
Education and training
- Biola University, PhD in Psychology
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (Bachelor's)
Professional memberships
- San Gabriel Valley Psychological Association
- American Psychological Association, Society of Clinical Psychology
Awards and publications
- Author: The Three Dimensions of Emotion: Finding the balance of power, hearts and mindfulness
- Author: Follow the Yellow Brick Road: How to change for the better when life gives you its worst.
NPI number
1063748945
Patient reviews
All reviews have been submitted by patients after interacting with the practice.
Overall rating
4.93
Wait time
4.80
Bedside manner
4.87
Your trust is our top concern, so providers can't pay to alter or remove reviews. We also don't publish reviews that contain any private patient health information. Learn more here
15 reviews
Most relevant
Protect this man at all costs. He is the best therapist I have seen in my lifetime. Such a knowledgeable man!
July 17, 2023Emily I.Verified patient
Excellent. Knowledgeable. Intuitive & observant. Kind & thoughtful. Clear communicator.
More than 1 year agoInitials hidden
5 stars.
Sam is incredible. From the very first session, he didn’t waste any time—he got right to the heart of things and guided us into meaningful, productive conversation. It was by far the most helpful first session I’ve ever had with a therapist. We covered ground that usually takes 3–5 sessions with others. He clearly knows his stuff, and my fiancé and I are looking forward to continuing to work with him. Highly recommend!
July 25, 2025Alyssa P.Verified patientVideo visit
In my opinion, Dr. Alibrando is the best Psychologist/Therapist in the country. I first came to him many years ago and saw him weekly. He helped me work through a lot of different issues, some of them deep and very complicated. His insights were stunning and very transformative for me. He helped me get to a much clearer, stronger and healthier place in life. Now I just come to him on an as needed basis.
He is brilliant and has decades of wisdom and experience. (I loved his book; it was also very helpful for me). He is very kind and compassionate, and has a great sense of humor. Most importantly, I have always felt very safe with him, felt that my feelings and traumas were handled with so much care and respect.
More than 1 year agoLB
Dr. Alibrando is insightful, caring and witty. I feel understood at a deep level and he brings up enlightening ways to understand or view challenges that I face. I appreciate that he uses humor to emphasize issues that can otherwise feel heavy.
I have worked with Dr. Alibrando at various times over the past 20 years as I prepared to become a parent and walked through a painful journey of divorce. I appreciate that I can check in and go back as needed and always feel welcomed and valued.
More than 1 year agoKT
Sam was a god-send at the very beginning of my dealing with the effects of childhood sexual trauma. His knowledge, patience and understanding helped guide me through a very dark period in my life. I could not be more happy today, thanks in great measure to Sam Alibrando.
More than 1 year agoSL
Dr. Alibrando is an excellent therapist. I had sessions with him during two periods of my life when I was in great need of sorting out my thoughts, feelings, and emotions. He very quickly digested my situation and needs through his active listening and pointed questions. He offered intelligent suggestions and advice. He had a wonderful way of putting me at ease, which enabled me to open up and speak freely.
I would very strongly recommend Dr. Alibrando to anyone in need of a therapist.
More than 1 year agoWG
"I used various sources to search for a therapist to help me with issues I was going through. I made telephone calls with several providers and Dr. Alibrando seemed like a good fit for me so I scheduled an appointment. Dr. Alibrando was generous with his time to accommodate my schedule. Doctor was flexible with meeting in person or online and has a very easy to use system to make it happen. In addition he was always on time and understanding when I had conflicts that caused me to be delayed.
Best of all Dr. Alibrando provided me with superior service with respect for me as a patient, a person and a customer. He is a great listener and is helping me get to solutions to my challenges instead of telling me what to do. I appreciate his style and the content of his therapy."
More than 1 year agoMC
Dr. Alibrando is a great listener and has great empathy and insight. He certainly knows how to balance professionalism with a personable and easy demeanor. Working with him has helped me tremendously both individually and previously in couples therapy.
More than 1 year agoMP
Dr. Alibrando, was very helpful to me at a time when I was grappling with difficult situation surrounding a divorce.
He help me to gain an objective perspective on my relationship with my spouse and move forward with my life. What a
relief. Thank you
LJM
More than 1 year agoLM
Not only is Dr A warm, engaged, and, when appropriate, funny, he informs. I didn't want to be listened to, I wanted support and someone to expand my own perspective. I left every session feeling refreshed and enlightened. I never felt judged nor did I feel hesitant to share which is hard for me. I don't open up to people much or often but looked forward to doing so with Dr. A. I hope I don't need to go back soon but I know I have a place when I do.
More than 1 year agoSB
I saw Dr. Alibrando during the Pandemic. He helped me process difficult feelings dealing with things I had gone through as a child as well as surface unhealthy patterns that had been established in my life. He created a safe environment, guided the conversation so I could see how my past impacts me today, and gave me tools to aid in my healing. Dr. Alibrando is a great listener, kind, and offered valuable insights.
More than 1 year agoJR
Working with Dr. Alibrando was time well spent. He listened closely and carefully to what I was saying, able to tune in to what I was feeling. From the first visit I was made to feel very comfortable and safe. Dr. Alibrando offered practical suggestions along with specific ways to help with my anxiety. I strongly recommend Dr. Alibrando.
More than 1 year agoRK
More than 1 year agoInitials hidden
March 21, 2023Dan F.Verified patientVideo visit
How soon can I make an appointment with Dr. Samuel Alibrando?
Generally, Dr. Samuel Alibrando has appointments available on Zocdoc within 1 week. You can see Dr. Alibrando's earliest availability on Zocdoc and make an appointment online.
Is Dr. Samuel Alibrando accepting new patients?
Dr. Samuel Alibrando generally accepts new patients on Zocdoc. You can see Dr. Alibrando's earliest availability on Zocdoc and schedule an appointment online.
Does Dr. Samuel Alibrando accept my insurance?
Choose your insurance plan to verify if Dr. Alibrando is in-network.
Can I make an appointment with Dr. Samuel Alibrando online?
Yes, you can make an appointment online with Dr. Alibrando using Zocdoc. It’s simple, secure, and free.
What practice does Dr. Samuel Alibrando work with?
Where is Dr. Samuel Alibrando's office located?
Dr. Samuel Alibrando has 2 office locations, including in Pasadena and Markleeville, view full addresses on Dr. Alibrando's profile.
What are common reasons for patients to see Dr. Samuel Alibrando?
Dr. Samuel Alibrando frequently sees patients for Depression, New Patient Visit, Psychotherapy, Psychotherapy Intake / Initial Visit, and Therapy. You can see other visit reasons for Dr. Samuel Alibrando on their profile.
What languages does Dr. Samuel Alibrando speak?
Dr. Samuel Alibrando speaks English.
How do patients rate Dr. Samuel Alibrando in reviews?
15 patients have reviewed Dr. Samuel Alibrando. The overall rating for this doctor is 4.93/5. They have a 4.87/5 rating for bedside manner and a 4.8/5 rating for wait time. You can read individual reviews and ratings on their profile.