PuttingFamilyFirst

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ST Portrait of Sarah Turnpaugh
Online therapist

Sarah Turnpaugh

Supportive social worker for family concerns

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Credentials
LCSW
Experience
5 years
Licensed in
Virginia
Languages
English
Format
Online sessions

About Sarah

Sarah Turnpaugh is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who focuses on family and parenting concerns alongside common stresses of daily life. She offers straightforward support for issues like anxiety, depression, grief, and trauma. Her style is warm and practical, aimed at helping people find clearer ways to cope and move forward.

Sarah has five years of clinical experience working with adults, adolescents, and family members. She uses simple, evidence-based tools to address problems such as self-esteem, motivation, anger, and challenges around relationships and family dynamics.

Background and approach

She also brings attention to stressors like caregiving strain, chronic illness, and job-related compassion fatigue. Her approach is collaborative. Sessions center on listening first, then picking a few clear steps that feel doable.

Techniques draw on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and client-centered methods to change unhelpful thoughts and build healthier habits. She also uses narrative and solution-focused ideas to reframe stories and set practical goals. Sarah is licensed in Virginia - VA LCSW 0904014108 - and conducts sessions in English.

Her work can address additional concerns such as attachment and abandonment issues, body image, cancer-related stress, divorce and separation, domestic violence, and first responder issues. She avoids jargon and aims to make therapy understandable and useful for busy parents and caregivers. To begin, Sarah asks that prospective clients complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a session.

She offers a range of online formats to fit different routines and needs.

Therapeutic approaches and how they work online

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and understanding a person’s experience without judgment. It helps people feel heard and makes it easier to identify what they want to change. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at patterns of thinking and behavior and teaches specific skills to reduce anxiety, improve mood, and manage stress.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each client to decide which methods fit best for their goals and preferences. Over the first sessions she will check what helps and adjust techniques so the plan feels practical and achievable.

Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to match different routines and needs. These options make it easier to fit therapy around school, work, and caregiving responsibilities. They also let people use short check-ins or longer sessions depending on what the situation requires, keeping the process flexible and focused on progress.

Client-Centered Therapy

The direction comes from you rather than from a set programme. The therapist offers a warm, non-judgemental space to think out loud and work at your own pace. Online, this rests on the relationship rather than on being in the same room.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT looks at the link between what you think, how you feel, and what you do. You work on noticing unhelpful patterns and practising steadier responses. It suits online sessions well, because much of the work happens between appointments and can be talked through from anywhere.

Motivational Interviewing

A way of working through mixed feelings about change without being pushed. The therapist helps you weigh things up and find your own reasons, which often makes a difficult decision feel less stuck.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of problems does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, self esteem, depression, relationship and family issues, parenting challenges, anger, career worries, ADHD, and related concerns.
What is her general therapy style?
Her style is collaborative and down-to-earth. She listens first, then uses practical steps from client-centered and cognitive behavioral approaches to build coping skills and clearer routines.
How much clinical experience does the therapist have?
She has five years of professional experience providing therapy to adults, adolescents, and family members on a range of life challenges.
What credentials and region apply to this therapist?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with the license VA LCSW 0904014108 and practices in Virginia.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
Sessions are offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to accommodate varied schedules.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I start working with this therapist?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button and completing a short matching questionnaire, then schedule according to the therapist's availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Also works with

Therapeutic approaches

Experience
5 years
Licensed
Virginia
Languages
English

Next step

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