- Collaborative goal setting
- Skill focused work
- LGBTQ+ informed care
About Sarah
Sarah Axley is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who helps people facing stress, anxiety, depression, grief, addiction concerns, and codependency. She speaks plainly and aims to make the first steps feel manageable. She encourages people to notice that reaching out is progress. Her tone is warm and direct.
Sarah trained at Virginia Commonwealth University, earning a Master of Social Work and a Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Aging Studies. She has provided psychotherapy since 2009 across outpatient clinics, intensive community settings, and hospital care. She earned her LCSW in 2012 and currently works full time in a hospital.
Her practice emphasizes collaboration: the client and therapist set goals together and pick practical steps to reach them. Sessions often include skill-building for stress and mood management, working on thinking patterns, and improving communication. She uses evidence-based tools chosen to fit each person’s needs and preferences.
Sarah works from a strengths perspective and believes people are more resilient than they think. Between sessions, clients are likely to try short tasks or exercises that build toward their goals. She also offers help with issues related to aging, caregiving stress, chronic illness, and isolation.
She identifies as LGBTQ+ informed and has experience supporting people coping with pandemic-related stress and social climate concerns. If someone wants a practical, collaborative approach with a clinician experienced in a range of settings, Sarah may be a good match.
How her approaches work in online therapy
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and working at your pace. The therapist follows your concerns and helps you clarify goals and priorities, which can make sessions feel more relevant and manageable for life challenges like stress and grief.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts, feelings, and actions connect. It uses practical exercises to change thinking patterns and teach skills for anxiety, depression, and coping with change.
Mindfulness Therapy teaches simple attention and breathing practices to reduce reactivity and improve focus. These techniques can help with sleep problems, anger, and ongoing stressors.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with the client to choose or blend methods based on goals and preferences. That might mean trying a skills-focused CBT exercise for a few sessions or using a client-centered check-in to explore what’s most pressing.
Confirm the specific session options before booking since formats are not detailed in the profile. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. Many people find this flexibility helps them keep consistent progress while balancing everyday demands.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
15+ years
Credentials
Virginia
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Sarah address?
She helps with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, addictions, codependency, self-esteem, relationship and family challenges, trauma and related issues listed in her profile.
How would she describe her therapy style?
Her style is collaborative and practical. She focuses on skill building, changing unhelpful thinking, and using tasks between sessions to make progress.
What is her professional background?
She has provided psychotherapy since 2009 in outpatient, community-based, and hospital settings and has 15 years of clinical experience.
What credentials and location are listed?
She holds a License in Clinical Social Work (LCSW) and practices in Virginia.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English and she accepts international clients.
What session formats are available?
Please confirm the current session options before booking, as formats are not specified in the provided profile.
How is cost handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I start working with her?
Choose the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.
Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.