Sara McPhee Lafkas

Entering into a therapeutic relationship is a courageous decision and a first step towards healing. I strive to create an atmosphere of empathy and compassion that facilitates the long-term growth my clients seek. My background includes over 10 years of experience in the social work field, including past work as a mental health clinician, social work educator, and child welfare specialist. I currently provide therapy to adults, adolescents, and couples in my practice. I help clients with concerns including anxiety, depression, relationship stressors, self-esteem, healing from trauma, spirituality, and professional transitions. I am also an active member of the LDS Church and am thus able to support individuals from LDS backgrounds. I have expertise in gender, particularly in supporting women's mental health, relationships, and personal development. I also enjoy working with young adults and students. Another specialty is trauma. I worked with individuals impacted by trauma in past clinical settings and completed a certificate program in traumatic stress, which furthered my knowledge. I am both a clinician and an educator. I work as an Assistant Professor of Social Work, and I use learning from my academic training in my practice. My orientation to therapy is primarily cognitive-behavioral, but I also draw upon relational-cultural, attachment, self-compassion, and adult development perspectives in my practice.