Sarah Berger
Hello! I'm Sarah, a licensed independent clinical social work, LICSW, who is dedicated and compassionate in supporting you on your path to emotional well-being and personal growth. Whether you're managing anxiety or anger, navigating a big life change, or looking for better ways to communicate with the people you care about, I'll help you find the strengths you already have and put them to work, along with building resilience to manage symptoms or overcome life transitions and difficulties. My specialties include working with anxiety, anger management, ADHD, improving relationships and communication, women's health and navigating life changes. Currently I only work with adults, including parents who want support navigating challenges of raising kids and teens, including childhood behaviors and teenage puberty. I'm proud to offer a welcoming space for LGBTQIA+ clients.
I have considerable experience supporting LGBTQIA+ individuals and helping them to navigate the challenges they may encounter with family, friends, or community.
I love to keep learning, and I bring that into our work. I attend professional trainings and belong to a clinical book club, and I'm always happy to share a podcast or book that might help you make sense of what you're going through. Recently I have been incorporating more skills building tools in sessions if requested, including boundary setting questions/practice scenario cards along with somatic therapy skills for nervous system regulation. Even though we are not physically in the same location, we can use these tools along with the screenshare to learn new strategies or practice skills.
First session
Our initial session will include a review of intake paperwork and screeners completed prior to the session along with a discussion about your symptoms that impact your functioning. We may also discuss family, relationships, health, school/employment to further understand your symptoms and concerns. This will allow us to determine collaboratively our path for goal setting and future sessions.
Strengths
I am passionate about learning, attending professional trainings and belonging to a clinical book club to best stay up to date on treatment and understand client needs. Clients have sent podcasts which have been impactful for them regarding understanding of their diagnosis or treatment modality. I will gladly listen and discuss in a future appt if they request. If clients ask me about book recommendations, I will often have books I have read or recommended suggestions to pass on from my various resources.
Ideal clients
I specialize working with anxiety, anger management, ADHD, improving relationships and communication, navigating life changes, and parenting challenges. I have considerable experience supporting LGBTQIA+ individuals and helping them to navigate the challenges they may encounter with family, friends, or community. Sometimes clients may need a safe space/person to initially discuss and understand their sexuality, this is something I can provide and give ongoing support to clients. I have also worked extensively with parents on navigating challenging childhood behaviors and teenage puberty. Therapy discussions may include behavior management techniques, setting appropriate boundaries, and improving communication to have a healthier parent/child relationship.
Treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
CBT is centered around helping clients identify and understand the specific thoughts that lead to certain emotions and behaviors. By focusing on these patterns, I guide clients in recognizing the connections between their thoughts, feelings, and actions. In our work together, clients learn to recognize the triggers that contribute to unhelpful behaviors and discontinue unhelpful thought patterns. I tailor CBT techniques to each client's unique needs, incorporating practical exercises like journaling, controlled breathing, or behavioral activation.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
DBT focuses on balancing acceptance and change. In sessions we work on developing tools for managing intense emotions, reducing impulsive behaviors and creating meaningful relationships with others. Core skills taught in sessions may include mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.
Motivational Interviewing
I use a technique called Motivational Interviewing which means we'll work together to understand what changes you'd like to make and what might be getting in the way. My role is to help you explore your own reasons for change and build confidence in our ability to move forward in ways that feel right for you. This can be helpful when clients are feeling "stuck" or ambivalent about making changes.
Psychoeducation
I believe that knowledge is powerful and important component in any therapeutic relationship. Psychoeducation is teaching about mental health terms, diagnosis, treatment, and symptom management. Information can be overwhelming or incorrect on the internet, talking through questions and concerns often provides reassurance and allows for processing of information in a safe, supportive environment.
Location
Virtual sessions