Recognized Leader in Executive Function Support and Education
Beth Samuelson’s work educating and supporting teens, young adults, and parents spans more than 25 years, including the development of a unique model of one-on-one executive function coaching as well as student workshops, advocacy, teacher training, parent workshops, and on-site school programs. SOS4Students is one of the most well-known providers of executive function coaching and related services in the San Francisco Bay area.

Here to Serve Students & Families
As the founder and director of SOS4Students, Beth Samuelson is a frequent and sought-after presenter and keynote speaker known for her enthusiasm, energy, humor, insight, and straight talk. She regularly presents at conferences, schools, and educational institutes. She is former co-host of the radio show Your Teen Matters, and columnist for Bay Area Parents of Teens Magazine.
Much of what Beth learned about executive functioning was do-it-yourself trial-and-error while she was a student. Because little was known at the time about how the student brain worked and the role of executive function in study strategies, she taught herself how to take notes, study for tests, and become a better organizer and planner. Now, SOS4Students sets the standard for executive function coaching and workshops in the Bay Area.
Educator’s Background
Beth graduated with a Masters in Education from UC Berkeley with a focus on cognitive and moral development. She has taught all grade levels but particularly enjoys working with teens and young adults. Moving from the classroom to private practice, she quickly became a specialist in adolescent development and executive functioning skills.
Beth began her career providing academic coaching in collaboration with both psychologists and college counselors. Beth designed study skills curriculum for middle school and high school students, eventually opening SOS4Students in West L.A. and then in the Bay Area with a then-novel focus on executive functioning skills.
Identifying a Universal Challenge
Beth taught oversees for several years in both London and Istanbul. It was an experience that reinforced her belief that student challenges were universal, and to address them required a keen understanding of the developing teen brain and executive functioning. Inspired, Beth started Student Organizational Services in 1997, later rebranding the company as SOS4Students in 2002.
SOS4Students was one of the earliest agencies to offer services for tweens and teens needing executive function coaching. SOS4Students quickly became one the premiere providers of academic support in the Bay Area, offering one-on-one support, advocacy, and workshops for students and parents, and professional development for teachers.
Personal
Beth lives in Oakland, California with her husband, Steven, and their daughter Hannah. She met Steven conducting a workshop: her teaching assistant at the time became his roommate!
In their free time, she and Steven enjoy traveling, running, and entertaining their golden retriever and three cats. Beth also enjoys studying languages and seeing how many books she can read simultaneously. She loves theatre, improv, asking questions, getting to know people, literature, history, music, dark chocolate, and the Sunday New York Times.
Q&A with Beth Samuelson