Sara Sutherland, LMSW
A listening approach that supports change
Details
| Name | Sara Sutherland |
|---|---|
| Credentials | LMSW |
| Based in | Michigan |
| Licensed in | Michigan |
| Session format | Online |
| Languages | English |
| Years in practice | 8 |
About Sara
Sara Sutherland is a licensed social worker with eight years of clinical experience. She aims to help people feel seen and heard while they work through stress, anxiety, grief, depression, coping with life changes, compassion fatigue, addictions, and relationship or intimacy concerns. Sara draws from Narrative therapy and client-centered approaches to help people tell their stories and find new meanings.
She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy tools when practical.
Background and approach
Sessions focus on clear goals and steady steps toward change. Her background includes work in independent practice, health care settings, and hospice care. That mix gave her experience supporting people facing chronic illness, end-of-life concerns, caregiver stress, and bereavement.
She also has experience with mood disorders, ADHD, bipolar symptoms, and trauma-related problems. In a session she offers straightforward listening and honest feedback. She prioritizes genuineness and practical next steps over jargon.
Therapy conversations might include mapping difficult memories, testing new behaviors, or sharpening coping skills. Sara earned a bachelor’s degree in social work and psychology from Hope College and a master’s degree in clinical social work from Western Michigan University.
She holds the Licensed Master Social Worker credential, LMSW, in Michigan and works with adults who need help navigating life transitions and emotional challenges.
What this therapist works with
Her listing names Stress, Anxiety, Grief, Depression among the things Sara works with, alongside the areas below.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Grief
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Compassion fatigue
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Intimacy-related issues
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Bipolar disorder
- ADHD
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Attachment issues
- Body image
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Co-morbidity
- Communication problems
- Family problems
- Fertility issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Personality disorders
- Post-traumatic stress
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches listed
- Narrative Therapy: Named in her listing among her approaches.
- Client-Centered Therapy: Listed by Sara among the ways she works.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Listed by Sara among the ways she works.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Listed by Sara among the ways she works.
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT): Listed by Sara among the ways she works.
- Mindfulness Therapy: Listed by Sara among the ways she works.
- Motivational Interviewing: Listed by Sara among the ways she works.
- Solution-Focused Therapy: Listed by Sara among the ways she works.
- Training stated: This directory copies the approaches a therapist names and does not check training records. Ask Sara directly how much of the work is narrative and what a session usually looks like.
Narrative Therapy in this listing
Narrative Therapy appears in this therapist's own list of approaches. That tells you it is part of how she works. It does not tell you how much of a session it shapes, and this directory does not check or rate training.
If a narrative approach is what you are looking for, it is worth asking Sara directly how she uses it and what a session usually looks like.
Online session options
Approaches that guide online sessions
Sarah uses Narrative therapy to help people separate themselves from difficult stories and find new ways to describe their lives, which can ease shame, grief, or identity questions. She also draws from Client-Centered Therapy to create a warm, accepting space where a person’s priorities lead the conversation. When helpful, she adds Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques to identify unhelpful thinking patterns and test new behaviors in everyday life.Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t helped before. That discussion guides which methods are used and how sessions are structured, so the plan fits the person rather than the other way around.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to make therapy more flexible. Video is useful for deeper conversations and visual cues, phone works well when bandwidth is limited, live chat can help with quick check-ins, and messaging supports ongoing reflection between sessions. These options let people fit therapy into work, caregiving, or health routines while using approaches that match their needs.
Common questions about this listing
What kinds of concerns does she help with?
Sara supports people dealing with stress, anxiety, grief, depression, coping with life changes, compassion fatigue, addictions, relationship and intimacy issues, parenting strain, trauma and abuse, and struggles with self-esteem, anger, ADHD, or bipolar symptoms.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
She centers on listening and helping clients tell their stories using Narrative and client-centered approaches. Sessions combine empathic listening with practical steps and skill building.
What is her clinical background?
She has eight years of experience and has worked in independent practice, health care, and hospice settings, which shaped her work with chronic illness, end-of-life concerns, and grief.
What credentials and location are listed?
She holds the Licensed Master Social Worker credential, LMSW, and practices in Michigan.
Which languages are supported and can international clients work together?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not accepting international clients at this time.
What session formats are available?
Therapy is offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to suit different schedules and needs.
How does cost and billing work?
Costs vary with location and therapist availability; sessions are delivered through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Choose the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions based on the therapist's availability.
Contacting this therapist
Sessions with Sara are arranged through our partner platform. It asks a few questions about what you are looking for, then shows you the therapists available to you, including Sara where she has space. Ask about fees, and whether she holds a licence or registration where you live.
Or see other therapists in Michigan »
This is a partner link. We will earn a commission if you sign up through it, at no cost to you. It does not change what you pay or the order of the listings.
Other listings in Michigan
- Natasha Wagner, LPC, LCPC - Michigan
- Susan King, LMFT - Michigan
- Eva "Melissa" Gadd, LMSW - Michigan
- Dr. Melissa Oleshansky, MI Psychologist - Michigan
- All therapists for stress, anxiety »