SS Portrait of Sara Van Slyke

Sara Van Slyke, LMHC

Strength-based care for anxiety and life stress

13 years in practice · based in Washington · sessions in English · online sessions

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About Sara

Sara Van Slyke is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with 13 years of professional experience. She works from a strength-based view and treats stress and anxiety among other concerns. She encourages people to take the first step and honors the courage it takes to begin therapy.

Sara sees each person as the expert on their life story. She listens for strengths and practical options. Sessions focus on building motivation, raising self-esteem, and finding clearer ways to manage low mood or anxiety.

Book with Sara Now Review online therapy options and next steps.

Background and approach

She combines straightforward strategies with reflective conversation. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps identify unhelpful thinking and change small daily habits. Mindfulness practices bring attention to the present moment and can reduce reactivity to stress.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills are used to teach emotion regulation and distress tolerance when feelings feel overwhelming. A client-centered stance guides the pace and topics of work so the person stays in control of goals and priorities. Sara has worked with people facing addictions, relationship strain, grief, trauma and life transitions.

She also supports those dealing with parenting stress, career questions, anger, eating concerns, bipolar mood challenges, and attention difficulties. Her approach is practical, respectful, and tailored to what each person needs next.

How therapeutic approaches work online

Sara commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help identify patterns in thoughts and behaviors and to build new, healthier habits; this method is practical for anxiety, low mood, and stress. She also draws on Mindfulness Therapy, teaching simple attention and breathing practices that reduce reactivity and can be used between sessions to manage worry. Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills such as emotion regulation and distress tolerance are offered when intense feelings make it hard to cope.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and reactions to early strategies, and then adjust methods together. That way the work stays relevant and responds to what helps most in day-to-day life.

Online sessions include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to offer flexible options. Video allows face-to-face conversation and visual cues. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited. Live chat and text messaging are useful for quick check-ins, brief coaching, or when typing feels more comfortable. These formats make it easier to fit therapy into work, school, or busy family routines.
Book with Sara Now Review online therapy options and next steps.

Questions people ask

What concerns does she commonly address?
Sara works with stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, trauma and abuse, grief, and related issues such as self-esteem, intimacy, eating concerns, anger, and career stress.
What is her therapeutic style?
She practices a client-centered style that emphasizes the person's strengths and choices, paired with skills-based methods like CBT and DBT when helpful.
How long has she been practicing?
She brings 13 years of experience working with people on motivation, coping, and mood-related concerns.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, credentialed as LMHC in Florida and Washington, and she practices from Washington.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English only.
Can people outside the U.S. work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are available?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different schedules and needs.
How do I begin working with her?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.

What this therapist works with

Also listed

Experience
13 years
Licensed
Florida, Washington
Languages
English

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