Sarah Marie O’Herlihy

I’m a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Northern Nevada, and I believe therapy should feel like a real conversation with a real person. My style is warm, laid-back, compassionate, and direct. I’ll meet you without judgment, but I also won’t just sit back and nod while you stay stuck in patterns that are hurting you.

I specialize in trauma and in helping people understand how their past experiences continue to show up in their relationships, emotions, sense of self, and nervous system. I’m trauma-certified and EMDR-trained, and I incorporate EMDR, DBT, somatic approaches, and practical coping skills based on what each person needs. I especially enjoy working with people who have spent years surviving, taking care of everyone else, or believing something is fundamentally wrong with them—and are ready to begin figuring out who they are outside of those experiences.

My approach is collaborative and deeply human. You don’t have to perform, have the right words, or show up as the “best version” of yourself in therapy. We can start exactly where you are. Sometimes our work will involve processing painful experiences; sometimes it will mean learning concrete skills, recognizing patterns, setting boundaries, rebuilding self-worth, or simply making sense of why you respond to the world the way you do.

I believe healing is about more than reducing symptoms. It’s about helping you feel safer in your own life, reconnect with yourself, build relationships that feel healthier and more authentic, and create a life that actually feels like yours.

Your first session is really about getting to know each other and figuring out what you need from therapy. I’ll ask about what brought you in, what’s been happening in your life, and what you’d like to be different—but you don’t need to arrive with everything figured out.

I want you to feel comfortable being yourself, so expect a conversation rather than an interrogation. We’ll begin identifying what feels most important to work on and talk about what therapy might look like moving forward. You’re always in control of what you share and how quickly we go, especially when it comes to trauma.

Most importantly, the first session is also your opportunity to get a feel for me. Therapy works best when you genuinely feel comfortable with the person sitting across from you, and I want you to leave with a sense of whether I feel like the right therapist for you.