Sara Thorsen (She/Her)

MA, LMFT
Accepting Clients

Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul And sings the tune without the words And never stops at all. -- Emily Dickinson

Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in California

Services
  • Individual
  • Family
  • Child
  • Adolescent/Teen
  • Group

About My Clients

I have been fortunate enough to work with amazingly diverse clients. Currently, I work part-time with youth involved in the juvenile justice system and operate a small private practice where I see college students. Additionally, I work with college students in the Santa Cruz area through a local agency. Much of my early clinical experience was gained through providing therapeutic services to students served through Special Education. I am still passionate about this population.

My Background and Approach

For some more personal context, I graduated from CSU Monterey Bay with a B.A. in Human Communications with a concentration in Practical and Professional Ethics. It was philosophy, specifically Epistemology and Ethics that opened my eyes to a completely different way of relating to myself, others, and our greater world. After graduating, I felt strongly that the natural application of all of the amazing knowledge I had gained was to become a therapist. Called to leave Home in the Santa Cruz mountains and surrounding area for a taste of the big City, I moved to Oakland where I lived while I attended the University of San Francisco. I finished my Master’s in Counseling Psychology with a concentration in Marriage and Family Therapy in 2016. I have since returned to my home in the Redwoods, though I continue to work and play throughout the Bay Area.

My Personal Beliefs and Interests

This is not an exhaustive list, but merely a handful of the populations I'm most passionate about: BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, Fat bodies/body positivity/health at any size community, MFT/MSW/LPC trainees and associates, Single caregivers/parents, and Folks experiencing unemployment (COVID-19 related or otherwise)

Techniques I Use

Specialties
EcoTherapy Humanistic Therapy Psychodynamic Therapy
Other Techniques
  • Art Therapy
  • Attachment Theory
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
  • Culturally Sensitive Therapy
  • Depth Therapy
  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
  • Eclectic Therapy
  • EcoTherapy
  • Existential Therapy
  • Family Systems
  • Feminist Therapy
  • Gestalt Therapy
  • Holistic Therapy
  • Humanistic Therapy
  • Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
  • Narrative Therapy
  • Nonviolent Communication
  • Play Therapy
  • Psychodynamic Therapy
  • Solution Focused Brief Therapy
  • Person-Centered (Rogerian)

Issues I Treat

Specialties
Anxiety Depression
Other Issues
  • Abuse
  • ADHD Therapists
  • Aging Concerns
  • Anger Issues
  • Anxiety
  • Attachment
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Body Image Issues
  • Burnout
  • Child Issues
  • Codependency
  • Depression
  • Divorce
  • Domestic Violence or Intimate Partner Violence
  • Family Conflict
  • Gender Identity Therapy
  • Grief or Loss
  • Historical/ Intergenerational Trauma
  • Immigration/Acculturation
  • Learning Disorders
  • LGBTQ-Friendly Therapists
  • Marriage Counseling
  • Parenting
  • Physical Disability
  • Polyamorous and Open Relationships
  • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  • Racial Identity
  • Self-Esteem
  • Spirituality
  • Systemic Oppression Therapy
  • Teen Issues
  • Women's Issues
I offer online counseling in the following states:

At A Glance

  • Experience: 10 years of practice
  • Languages: English
  • Rate: $100 - 150/session

Reach out to Sara