PSYCHOTHERAPIST
About Sara
Sara brings more than a decade of experience as a psychotherapist and she works effectively with clients from all walks of life to identify and achieve meaningful goals. Through her strengths-based, holistic approach, Sara addresses many dimensions of a person's life, including cultural factors, family dynamics, job situation, social supports, financial pressures, wellness (including diet and exercise) and coping skills.
Clients often describe Sara as “down to earth" and “easy to talk to” which helps them work through issues more openly and deeply. Sara also helps clients go from having insight about problems to making active changes to move forward in meaningful ways.
Sara has been working in the mental health field since 2003, providing intensive psychotherapy to clients in a variety of settings, including hospitals and clinics, as well as inpatient and outpatient treatment programs. Sara earned her Masters in Social Work from University of Southern California (USC) and her undergraduate degree at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). She has also done advanced training in mindfulness at the Mindful Awareness Research Center at UCLA, founded by Dan Siegel, a prominent doctor and researcher in the field of neurobiology.
An Open Letter from Sara
Hello! I wanted to introduce myself and welcome you to my practice. I feel really honored to support people through their struggles, as well as celebrate their successes, and I consider myself lucky to be able to do what I love. When I work with clients, I’m an active clinician and I view therapy as a collaborative process. I’ve learned so much about myself through my own therapy and I believe we’re all works in progress. I see therapy as time we can set aside each week to help us become the best version of ourselves we can be.
As for my own journey, I grew up in Las Vegas, then moved to Los Angeles in 1993. I’ve worked as a therapist in many different settings, including rehab and detox centers. I’m drawn to working with people with addiction issues because I’ve witnessed some of the people closest to me struggle with addiction. I’m also passionate about working with friends and family of people with addiction issues. It can feel so helpless and isolating to watch a loved one go through this, and getting support and guidance can make all the difference.
One support I often bring to my clients is the practice of mindfulness, which has been really helpful to me personally. Just the concept of slowing down and being more present has been a game changer for me and helps me feel more grounded and centered in the present moment, less stressed and happier overall. I also love bringing mindfulness into my everyday life, like when I’m walking my dog or going on a hike. I’ve always loved being in nature, and one of my favorite things is doing Walk and Talk therapy with clients. Just by moving the therapy conversation outdoors, I see how clients are often more relaxed and can go deeper in the therapy work, while getting the natural benefit from being outdoors and being in motion.
If it seems like working with me could be a good fit, I’d love to hear from you and talk about how I might help with whatever you’re going through. And whether you end up meeting with me or not, I’m so glad you’re considering getting support for yourself through therapy.
Wishing you all the best,
Sara
