Sara Olivanti
Hi all, I’m Sara! I’ve spent the past 9 years working in the mental health field, across inpatient, outpatient, emergency room, and residential levels of care. I am licensed in 4 states (MN, IL, WI, and MA) I strive to create a space where individuals feel safe, understood, and empowered to explore their experiences with curiosity and self-compassion. My passion for this work comes not only from professional training but also from personal experiences that have deepened my appreciation for resilience, compassion, and authentic human connection.
While it would be great to promise that everything will be resolved after a certain number of sessions, therapy doesn’t work in a predictable or fixed timeline.
I also believe therapy doesn’t have to feel heavy all the time—when appropriate, humor can be a meaningful part of the healing process and help make difficult conversations feel a little more approachable. I specialize in working with individuals experiencing OCD, anxiety, and hoarding disorder, and frequently use evidence-based approaches such as Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) to help clients build confidence in facing fears and reclaiming their lives.
First session
Your first session is an opportunity for us to get to know each other and begin building a comfortable, supportive therapeutic relationship. We will discuss what brought you to therapy, the challenges you have been experiencing, and what you hope to achieve from our work together. This is also the place for you to ask questions! Therapy can be overwhelming, and I want this to be a place where you feel heard and supported.
Strengths
Many clients come to therapy feeling ashamed of their thoughts, behaviors, or struggles. I prioritize creating a space where you can talk openly without fear of judgment. My goal is for clients to feel understood, supported, and safe while working through difficult experiences. While I bring structure and direction to our work—especially when using approaches like ERP—I also tailor treatment to each person’s unique needs, pace, and comfort level. Beyond symptom relief, I help clients build skills that allow them to manage uncertainty, regulate emotions, and navigate future challenges with greater confidence.
Ideal clients
I am best positioned to work with adults who feel stuck in cycles of anxiety, self-doubt, emotional dysregulation, or overcontrol, and who are motivated to better understand themselves and make meaningful change. Many of the clients I work with are high-functioning, insightful individuals who appear capable on the outside but experience significant internal distress, such as chronic worry, perfectionism, guilt, shame, or difficulty trusting themselves or others. Ultimately, I work best with clients who are open to reflection, willing to engage in skill-building, and ready to take an active role in their healing process—even if they feel unsure, overwhelmed, or apprehensive at the start.
Treatment methods
Exposure Response Prevention (ERP)
I have been practicing ERP for the last 5 years. I attempt to take an educational approach by explaining and providing examples before having a client work with me to create their exposure hierarchy and rate the level of discomfort for exposure. During the session, we will spend some time doing exposure, which will include some quiet time to sit with the discomfort and then process after the exposure is complete.
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
ACT is one of my favorite modalities as it really focuses on acceptance of our internal experiences, committing to more value-aligned behaviors, and taking action (doing the hard things!). There are a lot of great metaphors used in this modality that resonate with people. This modality also ties into the ERP work very nicely.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, is a practical and effective approach that helps people understand the connection between their thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, and behaviors. When we become aware of these patterns, it becomes easier to make sense of our experiences and respond to them in healthier ways. Spending time with a client to process their experience will help gain more insight into them as a person.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
DBT is used to help clients build practical skills for managing intense emotions, improving relationships, and responding to stress in healthier ways. DBT focuses on learning tools in four main areas: mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. In sessions, we work together to understand patterns that are causing distress and practice specific skills that can help you respond more effectively in difficult moments. The goal is to balance acceptance of your current experiences with making meaningful changes that support the life you want to live.
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
White
Woman
Top specialties
Anxiety
Obsessive-Compulsive (OCD)
Phobias
Other specialties
Coping Skills
Depression
Serves
Adults (18 to 64)
Individual Therapy
Doesn't specialize in
Couples Counseling
Dissociative Disorders
Family Therapy
Grief
High Clinical Acuity
Men's Issues
Military/Veterans
Older Adults
Parenting
Trauma and PTSD
Licensed in
IllinoisLicense 149027798
MassachusettsLicense LICSW1121538
MinnesotaLicense 34356
WisconsinLicense 12531 - 123