Hello, I am Sarah. I’m a Licensed Psychologist here at Denver Mental Health Collective, but you can also call me a Trauma Untangler a Neurodiversity Navigator, and a Positive Life Trainer. I help people living with anxiety, depression and trauma, understand and change their experience of life.
My ideal clients are adults who feel stuck by their feelings, experiences and challenges, whether due to trauma, life events or neurodiversity.
Trauma Untangler
Most people today have experienced something that felt overwhelming. For some it has been the way they grew up, a one-time terrible event or a series of events that leave them feeling different from everyone else.
Trauma creates a knot of thoughts, feelings and reactions that can be confusing and unmanageable. It affects relationships, work, fun and your view of yourself. Most people feel like they should be able to “just let it go” and find that it is not that easy.
I will work with you to help you understand why you feel and react the way you do, learn things that you can do to be more in control and process the memories so that you can actually feel better. I use EMDR to help you get to a point where you can think about the things that have happened and believe that they are in the past and that you can be ok.
Neurodiversity Navigator
More and more adults are beginning to suspect that they have attention issues and /or autism. With this comes the realization that you have not “just been lazy or unmotivated,” and the grief and anger at all the time you have spent working so hard to do the things that are easy for everyone else. After that is the question of now what?
I can help you answer that question. I will help you understand the way your brain works differently and how to adjust to that. You can learn strategies to take advantage of your strengths and minimize the impact of limitations, as well as understand and cope with the emotional challenges that go hand in hand with neurodiversity.
Positive Life Trainer
One of the things that is so hard about mental and emotional problems is that they take over your life. Most of your energy goes into just getting though the day. You don’t have enough left over to support the people you care about, take care of yourself the way you want to and certainly not to explore the things that bring you joy.
Once you figure out how to manage the symptoms of anxiety, depression and other challenges you still have to figure out how to get back to the person you used to be, or grow into the person you want to be. That often feels like an overwhelming challenge. I will help you figure out what you want your life to be like and how to start making changes a little at a time until you feel like the person you want to be. Don’t worry if you don’t know who you want to be, that is also something we can explore together.
I received my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Washington State University. I am trained in EMDR and in Trauma Informed Care. I have worked with all kinds of people and problems and have 20 years of experience in supporting individuals with autism.
More About Me
When I am not in session, you can often find me playing with my dogs, sewing, reading or enjoying the outdoors. I am a Colorado native who loves the mountains and the change of seasons.
Please contact our office today to schedule a free phone consultation. During this time our Client Care Coordinator can talk more about what’s going on and how I can help you feel better.
