New to Grow
Hi, I’m Sarah! I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who believes therapy should feel like a space where you can show up exactly as you are. I work with older adolescents and adults navigating anxiety, depression, OCD, grief and loss, chronic illness, relationship and family challenges, and major life transitions. My approach is warm, collaborative, and individualized. I want to understand not only what you’re struggling with, but who you are and what matters most to you. My background includes providing therapy across a range of settings, including clinical mental health, private practice, partial hospitalization (PHP), intensive outpatient (IOP), and community-based programs. I also have extensive experience supporting individuals and families navigating epilepsy, chronic health conditions, and the emotional and life challenges that can accompany them.
Our first session is really about getting to know each other. I’ll invite you to share what brought you to therapy, what has been feeling difficult lately, and what you hope to gain from our work together, while also learning about the experiences, relationships, and strengths that have shaped you. You don’t need to arrive knowing exactly what you want to work on or how to explain everything. We’ll take the time to identify your goals together and begin creating a plan that feels realistic and meaningful to you. Most importantly, I want you to leave the first session feeling heard, supported and comfortable being yourself.
I bring warmth, empathy, and a genuine curiosity about the people I work with. I strive to create a space that feels supportive while also helping clients move toward meaningful change. My approach is trauma-informed and draws from evidence-based practices including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), grief therapy, and family-based work. I also bring experience working alongside families, schools, medical providers, and other professionals, which has shaped my understanding that mental health rarely exists in isolation. I believe some of the most meaningful work happens when clients feel truly understood while also being gently challenged to recognize their strengths, develop new skills, and create changes that fit their lives.
My ideal clients are individuals who may be feeling overwhelmed, anxious, stuck, or disconnected from themselves as they navigate life transitions, relationship challenges, grief and loss, chronic health conditions, or other difficult experiences. You may be someone who tends to carry a lot for others, struggles with uncertainty or change, or simply feels ready to better understand yourself and the patterns that are no longer serving you. I enjoy working with clients who want a space where they can slow down, feel heard, and explore what they are experiencing without judgment or pressure. Whether your goal is to feel more confident, strengthen relationships, develop healthier ways of coping, process difficult experiences, or simply feel more like yourself again, we can work together toward meaningful and realistic change.
I use CBT to help you notice how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors may be connected. We’ll look at patterns that might be keeping you stuck and work on practical ways to shift your thinking, cope with difficult emotions, and approach situations differently.
I use DBT skills to help you better understand and manage your emotions, cope with stressful or overwhelming moments, and communicate more effectively in your relationships. We may practice mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, or boundary-setting depending on what you’re working through.
My approach is grounded in trauma-informed care, which means I’m mindful of how past experiences can affect the way you feel, cope, and connect with others today. I want therapy to feel like a space where you have a voice and don’t feel pressured to share or process something before you’re ready. We’ll focus not only on what you’ve been through, but also on the strengths that have helped you get to where you are.
With ERP, we’ll look at the fears or worries that may be leading you to avoid certain situations or rely on behaviors that temporarily make the anxiety feel better. We’ll work gradually on facing those fears and becoming more comfortable with uncertainty, without expecting you to do everything at once.