Who we are

SAM is a community of spiritual care providers who will help you achieve spiritual and emotional wellness and create meaning in your senior years of life.

We are practiced in the nuances of pastoral care, with experience in chaplaincy, nursing, ministry, teaching and the arts.

Why SAM?

Founder Melissa O’Brien has been making visits to senior living and elder care communities for decades, as a chaplain, pastor, friend and family member.

Melissa has an M.Ed. from the University of Vermont and an M.A. in Pastoral Care from Fordham University. She has been a hospital chaplain, a hospice chaplain and a Congregational minister. She hosts Soul Circles and SAM gatherings throughout the northeast, and she is a writer and public speaker.


Too often in our elder years we are left alone to cope with challenging situations like

  • displacement from home and community

  • disconnect from family members

  • relationships that need healing

  • illness or death of a spouse or partner

  • grief

  • loneliness

  • end of life

SAM has been created to offer spiritual and emotional care and companionship so that no one walks these roads in isolation.


How It Will Work

SAM offers several different ways to access spiritual care:

  • A twice-monthly virtual visit with a wellness partner.

  • Monthly in-person group SAM gatherings.

  • Inspiring video content available at all times and updated regularly.

  • AI-generated companionship. We are integrating the latest in intelligent technology so that you can have a chat friend available whenever you want one.