About
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Mindfulness Therapy
About Sarah
Sarah Axley is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing in Virginia with 15 years of clinical experience. She works with adults facing stress, anxiety, depression, addiction, grief, relationship and family concerns, parenting strain, trauma and related struggles. Sarah also lists support for LGBT issues and sleep problems among her focus areas.
She trained at Virginia Commonwealth University, earning a Master of Social Work and a postbaccalaureate certificate in Aging Studies. Since 2009 she has worked in outpatient mental health, community-based intensive services, and hospital settings. Her background includes supporting people with mood disorders, anxiety, trauma, substance use, autism spectrum concerns, and grief or loss.
Sarah uses a collaborative, strengths-based approach. Sessions aim to clarify goals, build practical skills, and change unhelpful thinking patterns when that helps. She combines client-centered listening with methods drawn from cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, mindfulness practice, narrative therapy, and solution-focused work.
In sessions she commonly focuses on concrete tools and homework between meetings. That work could include skill practice, tracking patterns, or short exercises designed to reduce symptoms and improve communication. She describes the therapeutic relationship as a partnership where both people decide what moves toward the client’s goals.
She currently balances hospital work with evening and weekend client hours. People who want to proceed begin by completing a brief matching questionnaire and scheduling a first appointment to see if the fit feels right.
How sessions work
How her approaches translate to online sessions
Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and working from your own priorities. The therapist reflects what matters most to you and helps shape goals you want to reach. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) breaks problems into thinking, feeling and behavior patterns and teaches skills to change unhelpful habits; it is often used for anxiety, depression, sleep problems and stress. Mindfulness therapy introduces simple attention and breathing practices to reduce reactivity and improve focus.Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. The therapist will discuss your goals and preferences and together you will try methods that fit your situation. That collaborative process may lead to emphasizing skill practice, short behavioral experiments, or narrative work to make sense of difficult experiences.
Session formats are not specified here, so confirm the available online options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit appointments into busy weeks, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. Many people find that working by video or phone lets them practice skills between meetings and keeps momentum going toward their goals.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
15+ years
Listed in
Virginia
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she help with?
She works with adults on stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, grief, parenting strain, relationship and family concerns, trauma, sleep problems, and LGBT issues.
What is her therapeutic style?
Her style is collaborative and strengths-based, combining client-centered listening with practical techniques from CBT, motivational interviewing, mindfulness, narrative and solution-focused approaches.
How long has she been practicing clinically?
She has 15 years of clinical experience, providing psychotherapy in outpatient, community-based, and hospital settings since 2009.
What credential does she hold and where is she based?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) licensed in Virginia and practices from that state.
Does she offer sessions in other languages or to international clients?
Sessions are offered in English and she accepts international clients.
What session formats are available?
Session formats are not listed here; please confirm current session options before booking to learn which formats are offered.
How are fees handled?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin if I want to work with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session to start the process.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If anyone is in danger, use the crisis numbers.