Sarah Swaney, LMSW

I specialize in working with individuals who have experienced complex trauma/CPTSD, sexual trauma, disordered eating/eating disorders and body image issues. In addition to these areas, I also work with clients who experience perfectionistic & people-pleasing tendencies, attachment wounds, anxiety, depression, relationship concerns, and life transitions. Additionally, I am LGBTQ+ affirming & inclusive.

I believe it’s your birthright to feel safe & at home in your body. My approach as a therapist is trauma-informed, somatic and relational. Since trauma impacts the relationship you have with yourself and with others, I strongly believe that the therapeutic relationship is one of the most effective tools we can use to journey towards your healing together. Because of this, I value showing up as authentic, curious, and collaborative in my approach as a therapist. 

I believe one of the most important parts of therapy is you feeling deeply understood & seen in our work together. As bell hooks says, “Rarely, if ever, are any of us healed in isolation.” My hope is that you will be given the space to develop a greater sense of connection with yourself, become more attuned to your needs, and cultivate skills to regulate overwhelming feelings. Taking a somatic approach, we will work together to tune into the “wisdom” of your body and become (re)connected to yourself. 

In my work with clients, I utilize modalities such as Somatic Experiencing (currently finishing up my second year of Intermediate training), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Internal Family Systems (IFS), attachment, psychodynamic and feminist theory. I have additional training in treating sexual trauma, eating disorders, sound healing, Jungian Sandplay Therapy, and Inference-based CBT (I-CBT). 

When appropriate, I love pulling in an ecotherapy lens & looking to nature for wisdom. Healing comes in many forms, so we will explore what modalities and methods of healing work best for you & your nervous system! 

Outside of the therapy room, you can find me tending to my many houseplants, gardening, or getting to know the wild things in my yard (currently trying to befriend a crow). My favorite way to spend my downtime is curled up in a comfy spot with a warm beverage and a good book, accompanied by my cats.