Licensed to practice in 5 states and accepts 44 insurances. Specializes in Anxiety, Depression, Trauma and PTSD and 9 more.
Clients say this provider is
I’m Sara Arter, LCSW-QS, serving teens and young adults. I specialize in anxiety, trauma, depression, life transitions, and emotional regulation, with a particular passion for helping clients who feel overwhelmed, stuck, or disconnected from themselves. My approach is warm, collaborative, and individualized, incorporating evidence-based approaches such as EMDR, CBT, DBT, IFS/parts work, and mindfulness to help clients better understand themselves, build confidence, and create meaningful, lasting change.
In our first session together, we'll focus on getting to know each other and understanding your unique story. This initial session, often called the intake session, is a safe and confidential space where you can share what brings you to counseling. I'll listen attentively as you share your concerns, challenges, and goals. This is a crucial time for me to gather important information about your background, current difficulties, and what you hope to achieve through therapy. You'll have the opportunity to ask questions, express your expectations, and together we'll start building a trusting therapeutic relationship that will guide our work moving forward.
Some of my greatest strengths as a therapist include being friendly and approachable, creating a welcoming atmosphere for clients to feel comfortable in. I am deeply compassionate, genuinely caring about each individual's well-being and journey. Listening attentively is a cornerstone of my practice, ensuring that clients feel heard and understood. I am also an advocate for my clients, dedicated to their growth and empowerment throughout our work together.
I’m best positioned to support teens (13–18) and young adults (18–30) who are navigating anxiety, trauma, low self-esteem, and major life transitions. Many of my clients feel overwhelmed, stuck in negative thought patterns, or unsure of how to express what they’re feeling. They may be high-achieving but internally struggling, or they may be withdrawing, unmotivated, and unsure how to move forward. I work especially well with clients who are open to growth, even if they don’t fully know where to start. Together, we focus on building emotional awareness, strengthening coping skills, and helping them feel more confident, grounded, and in control. I also support families in improving communication and understanding, creating a more connected and supportive environment at home. My goal is to help clients feel seen, understood, and empowered—while giving them practical tools they can actually use in their everyday lives.
Cash - $135 per session
Aetna
Aetna - Allied Benefits
Aetna - ASR Health Benefits
Aetna - Lucent Health
Aetna - Luminare
Aetna - Moda
Aetna - WebTPA
Aetna – HealthEZ
All Savers
Ambetter Health
Amerihealth Administrators
Amerihealth NJ Medicare Advantage
Anthem
Arlo
AvMed
Blue Cross Blue Shield
Centivo
Cigna
Cigna - HealthEZ
EAP:Cigna
EAP:Evernorth
EAP:UnitedHealthcare/Optum
Evernorth
Florida Blue
Golden Rule
GTEB
Harvard Pilgrim/UnitedHealthcare
Horizon
Independence Administrators
Independence Blue Cross
Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente - Medicaid
Optum
OptumHealth Complex Medical Conditions
Oscar
Oxford
Surest (formerly Bind)
Tufts Health/Cigna
United Medical Resources
UnitedHealthcare Life Insurance
UnitedHealthcare Shared Services
UnitedHealthcare StudentResources
UnitedHealthcare/Optum
UnitedHealthcare/Optum - Medicaid
"CBT is immensely helpful in recognizing and changing negative thought patterns, leading to a more positive outlook and improved coping skills."
I am trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and incorporate it regularly into my work with children, teens, and young adults. My approach is gentle, creative, and developmentally tailored — helping clients safely process distressing memories, reduce emotional reactivity, and build adaptive coping skills. I often combine EMDR with elements of CBT, mindfulness, and parts work to support regulation and insight throughout the healing process.
I use somatic approaches to help clients notice how stress, anxiety, and past experiences show up in their bodies—not just in their thoughts. We may work with physical sensations, breathing, movement, grounding, and other body-based strategies to help calm the nervous system and build a greater sense of safety and control. This can be especially helpful when clients feel overwhelmed, “stuck,” disconnected, or find that talking and thinking through something isn’t enough.
I use IFS, or “parts work,” to help clients better understand the different parts of themselves that may show up during difficult moments—such as the anxious part that worries, the critical part that puts pressure on them, or the protective part that wants to avoid getting hurt. Rather than trying to get rid of these parts, we approach them with curiosity and compassion to understand what they need and why they developed. This can help clients feel less controlled by their emotions, heal underlying wounds, and develop a more compassionate and confident relationship with themselves.
I use Polyvagal Therapy to help clients understand what is happening in their nervous system when they feel anxious, overwhelmed, shut down, or emotionally reactive. Together, we learn to recognize the body’s signals of stress and practice practical ways to feel more grounded, safe, and regulated. This approach can be especially helpful for clients who understand their thoughts logically but still feel like their body is “stuck” in a stress response.