New to Grow
Hey all! I’m Sara, and I’m passionate about helping individuals who feel stuck in cycles of anxiety, intrusive thoughts, or overwhelming emotions. My goal is to create a supportive, non-judgmental space where you can feel comfortable sharing your experiences and working toward meaningful change. I specialize in working with anxiety, OCD, Hoarding and related challenges, and I use evidence-based approaches such as Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills. These approaches help us better understand the connection between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors while building practical tools to face fears, reduce compulsions, and manage distress more effectively. My approach is collaborative, compassionate, and goal-oriented. I believe therapy works best when we work together to identify patterns that may be keeping you stuck while also building the skills and confidence needed to move forward. Whether you’re navigating intrusive thoughts, relationship stress, life transitions, or feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, I’m here to support you in creating change and building a life that feels more aligned with your values.
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
Your first session is an opportunity for us to get to know each other and begin building a comfortable, supportive therapeutic relationship. We will spend time talking about what brought you to therapy, the challenges you have been experiencing, and what you hope to get out of our work together. I may ask questions about your current symptoms, past experiences with therapy, and important areas of your life such as relationships, work, and daily stressors. This helps me better understand the patterns that may be contributing to your distress and how I can best support you. 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.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
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.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
I work best with individuals who feel stuck in cycles of anxiety, intrusive thoughts, or patterns that are beginning to interfere with their daily lives. Many of my clients are thoughtful, self-aware people who have been trying very hard to manage things on their own but find themselves caught in overthinking, reassurance seeking, avoidance, or compulsive behaviors that temporarily relieve anxiety but ultimately keep them feeling stuck. I am especially well positioned to support individuals struggling with obsessive-compulsive symptoms, persistent worry, intrusive thoughts, perfectionism, and difficulty tolerating uncertainty. My clients are often motivated for change but may feel exhausted from constantly trying to “figure things out” in their minds. Together, we work to shift away from rumination and avoidance and toward practical skills that help them face fears, tolerate uncertainty, and regain confidence in their decision-making and daily lives. Clients who tend to benefit most from working with me are open to learning new tools, practicing skills between sessions, and gradually facing fears in a supportive and structured way. Therapy with me is collaborative and active—we focus not only on understanding patterns but also on building the confidence and resilience needed to move forward.
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.