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Sara Parrish

BFA Maryland Institute College of Art // MA University of Cincinnati

When we experience traumatic events, we often don’t leave them behind. A part of who we are can stay trapped in the moment it happens causing us to take on destructive beliefs about ourselves and how we relate to others. The world becomes unsafe, trust can seem impossible, and no matter how hard we try we can end up feeling like someone will always be able to see through the mask we’ve carefully constructed for ourselves. Whether trauma stems from sexual violence, emotional violence, severe work stress, bias, or wartime it can lead to clinical diagnoses such as Major Depressive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as well as survival behaviors symptomatic of Personality Disorders.

When I assist clients in rebuilding the story of who they are and most want to be, I use an approach that incorporates elements of depth psychology rooted in empathy and supported by decades of qualitative research, evidence based methods backed by neurological research, critical theory which allows me to better understand the resounding emotional effects of one’s ecological system, and a practice of building awareness based in Eastern philosophy. I believe that processing trauma is best done through an ecological lens with an awareness of how one navigates the world after experiencing trauma. We work together to discover: your personal values, how you can live by them, how you can release old patterns that no longer serve you, and what it looks like to strive towards a life of meaning.

I’ve received training in Exposure and Response Ritual Prevention (ERP), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Internal Family Systems (IFS). While studying at The University of Cincinnati, I created an Independent Study in which I worked closely with Dr. Stephanie Merilees to conceptualize healing trauma through a lens that is human centered, ecologically minded, and behaviorally motivated. LGBTQ+ friendly, neurodivergent friendly, sex positive, and judgment free.

My passion

“My passion is attempting to understand more about what it means to be human. I practice this through reading literature, philosophy, history, and theory; taking in film; traveling; keeping up a practice in mindfulness; and staying connected to my spirituality as well as with those I hold dear.”

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