I specialize in the following areas:

• Anxiety
• Trauma and PTSD 
• Family Conflict
• Emotional Control and Self-Regulation
• Insecure Attachments
• Relationships 
• Self-Care/Burnout
• Managing multiple priorities (work, school, family commitments, social commitments) 
• Negative Self-Image / Self-Talk
• Forgiveness and acceptance

 

Hi folks! You and I both know that when you’ve lived through traumatic experiences, it sets your whole body on edge. It can affect your sleep, your appetite, and of course your relationships with those around you. The impact of trauma and PTSD has been highlighted in the media at times, with military veterans, celebrities, and others telling their stories. 

But there’s a silent story playing out that hasn’t been told yet. It’s your story. It may be a difficult story to tell, and others may not want to hear it. Those closest to you may have an agenda about how you tell the story. They may want to edit the words you choose when you describe their part in it. Not me. 

My name is Sarah, and I want to hear your whole story. I’m ready to listen with my heart as well as my ears, and I want to understand what it’s like to have walked all those miles in your shoes. But I want to do more than just listen. Like you, I have a lifetime of my own experience. I want to use it to relate with you and support you in a journey of healing. In my 30+ years on the planet, I’ve overcome addiction, survived domestic violence and birthed five children along the way. Being a child of divorce due to an abusive father, I used to think I was never going to end the cycle of abuse and self medicating. 

I’ve been knocked down, and I’ve figured out how to get back up. Part of that process involved returning to grad school after years in the social service field. I’ll finish my MSW program at the University of Southern California this summer, and I’ve already added valuable skills that will help me on the next leg of my own journey. 

I used to wonder how anyone could cope with all the complex emotions, generational trauma and significant life changes that so many of us face. Years of professional experience serving adults with severe mental illness taught me a few things, and my academic coursework has taught me even more. I’ve worked successfully to help people navigate broken relationships, lost jobs, financial stressors, and healing from past trauma. In many cases, I worked myself out of a job. 

I don’t claim to be an expert in my field yet, but I think I’m getting the process right. Joining the team at Rock Life Counseling has allowed me to access the “wisdom of the crowd” and feel confident in the team approach we take to serving our clients. You are the expert in you. We’ll provide the rest of what you need for the healing process to begin. The best chapters of your life have yet to be written. You have the pen, and I want to help you write them. Click the link below and ask for me by name to get started.