
Welcome — I'm Sarah, a Licensed Specialist Clinical Social Worker (LSCSW) offering telehealth therapy to adolescents and adults across Missouri. Maybe you're lying awake replaying conversations, feeling stretched thin by anxiety and low mood, or carrying the weight of trauma that still shapes how you move through your days. Maybe a recent loss, a hard life transition, or patterns you can't seem to break have left you feeling stuck and unlike yourself. You don't have to sort through it alone. I work with people navigating anxiety, depression, PTSD and trauma, bipolar disorder, OCD, panic, grief and loss, anger, stress and burnout, substance use, and relationship and family struggles. I earned my Master of Social Work at the University of Kansas and use evidence-based, strengths-focused care tailored to who you actually are — not a one-size-fits-all formula. My style is warm and genuine; I'll meet you with steadiness and honesty, and together we'll build practical skills that create real, lasting change.
Therapy with me is collaborative and active — we work as a team, and I tailor each session to your goals. I draw on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Trauma-Focused CBT to help you recognize and reshape the thoughts and patterns that fuel anxiety, depression, and traumatic stress. I integrate Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills for emotional regulation and distress tolerance, Behavioral Activation to rebuild momentum when depression makes everything feel heavy, and Motivational Interviewing to help you move toward change at a pace that feels right. My work is strengths-based and holistic — I pay attention to the emotional, behavioral, cognitive, and environmental factors that shape your well-being, because none of those exist in isolation. I'm often described as gentle, and I'll also gently challenge you when growth calls for it. Together we'll set clear goals, track what's working, and adjust as we go, so therapy feels purposeful and you can feel the difference in your everyday life.
In our first session, you can expect a calm, supportive space focused on understanding what brings you in. We'll complete an intake to learn your history and current concerns, then identify the goals that matter most to you and build a personalized plan together. From there, you can expect to feel more in control of anxious thoughts and low moods, more confident setting boundaries, and better equipped to regulate strong emotions and manage stress. Many clients find they communicate more openly, sleep more soundly, and start to feel like themselves again. Change takes time, and you won't be doing it alone — I'll be right alongside you, noticing progress and adapting as your needs evolve. Wherever you're starting from, there is a path forward, and I'd be honored to help you find it.