I am warm and energetic and I will help you feel safe in therapy. I believe in you and your ability to heal. You will find me to be very transparent and honest with you. I I like to tell my clients that therapy is a collaborative process where I work with them to achieve their goals. Your goals are my goals. When we establish goals, I will take them seriously as I know you are here to get important work done. While I am solutions-focused, you will also find me to be light-hearted and fun. I aim to create a counseling environment which you look forward to coming to each time. Please read the testimonials about me at counselorsarahe.com as I believe they speak to what you may experience in your counseling with me.
First, any anxiety that you feel coming into your first session is normal! I might be worried about you if you DIDN'T experience some level of anxiety meeting a total stranger! I really look at your first session as an introduction. A "getting to know you" if you will. This will be an ongoing process. And it's reciprocal. What I mean by that is, I want you to get to know me. Ask me questions. I am open and honest and I know you will experience me to be a therapist who feels "real" and supportive. Therapy should not feel like a "top-down" experience where your therapist imparts all their ancient wisdom upon you. You know you and are an expert in who you are. That is an amazing asset which we will use in therapy. At the end of our time, you and I will develop a road map of how to get you to your goals. Those may change in time and we will adjust along the way.
I believe I am an outstanding therapist and have been honored to work with many clients who have grown and changed. My warmth, energy, enthusiasm, and passion for what I do shines through. You will feel supported and encouraged from day one. Having a trauma and spiritually informed background gives me a unique skill set to help you achieve your goals. You don't have to be in therapy forever! I help people all the time who travel through the counseling experience quickly to achieve their goals. Others find me as a part of their ongoing village which I am also honored by.
I have specialities which I believe set me apart as a therapist. The first is being trauma-informed. Trauma is simply, anything that has happened over the course of your life that has had a lasting impact on you. This may feel large or small but either way, understanding the impact trauma has on a client will mean validation and affirmation for your current struggles. This is not not a simple concept - being trauma informed. Many therapists are trained in CBT or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Change your thoughts, change your experience. Great in theory, but does not actually prove helpful for those of us with trauma histories. If you've been shamed for how you show up in life or relationships, I will help you unpack the impact trauma has had on your life and make a roadmap for recovery for you. Second, I am an anxiety specialist. As stated, I am trauma-informed, and much anxiety springs forth from traumatic experience. These can be one time events or reoccurring events over your lifespan. Your time with me will not be just sitting around talking about your anxiety experience, but you will be actively assigned strategies which you will practice in order to address the anxiety while reducing its impact on your daily life. Trust that this will be relieving! Many whom I work with are surprised at how quickly I teach them about anxiety and how to manage it in a different way and suddenly they don't need me anymore! That is always my goal for you! Third, I have been trained from a spiritual perspective - namely, a Christian perspective. Don't be alarmed if that's not appealing to you! For many though, they do have a belief system, or faith system that guides their thinking and behavior in every day life. It does not matter what that faith set is, what matters is that it is honored in your therapy. Many therapists don't incorporate this aspect into their counseling process which is a shame as most people on the planet do have a system of belief that guides them. I am well-equipped to address these issues with you as well as how to use your faith/belief set as a positive guiding experience in therapy. I counsel many therapists as well as those who have tried therapy with others and have not experienced success. I believe that I would help you feel comfortable to face your challenges from the beginning, no matter what they are.
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
ACT is integrated with other modalities I use. We will explore not only your thoughts as you do in CBT, but accepting your negative thoughts and emotions and moving toward values-based behaviors you will feel proud of.
Faith based therapy
No matter your faith background, if it informs your life, it should absolutely be used in your therapy. Those with a faith system find their faith system as a source of support and healing.
Attachment-based
Most of who we are is developed from ages 0-18. If you struggle with anxiety and depression, no doubt there is an attachment wound that must be addressed. I use various attachment based therapies to guide this work.
Christian Counseling
I was trained at a seminary where we were trained to integrate the Christian faith - in however you want that to look - in your counseling experience. Some would like to pray during sessions or receive scripture that is relevant to their struggle. I also use the mindfulness portion of ACT therapy to aid us in attending to our internal faith experience.
EMDR
I am trained in EMDR and have ways for us to use this modality online. I also use EMDR with other attachment based interventions like Internal Family Systems.