Education: Sarah is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor, and EMDR trained therapist. She received her MS in Counseling and Human Development from Radford University in 2015. Sarah has received advanced training in a variety of modalities and interventions focused on providing quality mental health services to children, adolescents, and families, especially those who have experienced complex trauma.

Experience: Sarah’s specialties include: Child Centered Play Therapy, Therapeutic and Attachment-Focused Parenting, Theraplay Techniques, Expressive Arts Interventions (to include Sandtray), Complex Childhood Trauma, Foster Care/Adoption, LGBTQ+ Affirmative, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Sarah’s theoretical orientation is a mix of Adlerian and Child Centered. Sarah has experience working as a School Based Clinician, Intensive In Home Counselor, and Bereavement Counselor prior to moving to her dream job. In 2017, Sarah began serving as an Outpatient Counselor at Family Service of Roanoke Valley, providing play therapy to children, adolescents, and families with a variety of presenting concerns and backgrounds. Currently, Sarah serves as Clinical Director at Family Service of Roanoke Valley, carrying a small caseload of her own clients as well as providing clinical and administrative supervision to their mental health programs. She also serves as Vice President/President-Elect of Virginia Association for Play Therapy. Sarah enjoys providing professional development and public speaking regarding counseling, play therapy, and mental health and has presented several times at professional conferences, as well as presenting for graduate programs as a guest lecturer or adjunct professor, as
an expert for news stories or court, and for virtual trainings throughout the pandemic for various professional organizations.

Additional Information: Sarah is passionate about children’s mental health and the power of play therapy and wants to expand access through training and supervision of the next generation of play therapists and professional counselors. Sarah is also passionate about social justice and hopes to supervise others with similar commitment to societal change.

Sarah currently lives with her rescue dog, Maggie. In her free time, she enjoys playing with her nephews, reading, cheering on UVA sports, watching reality TV competitions, volunteering in local politics, and searching for the best mint chocolate chip ice cream.