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I am Sarah Pettengill, and I hold a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology. I am credentialed as a California state therapist, license number (LMFT105533). Over the past 12 years, I have developed experience with adults adolescents, and children. My experience includes helping foster/ adopt children and families through social work teaching foster parenting classes, and holding support groups for anxiety, grief, and foster parent issues. I also value helping those who struggle with anger management, are soon to be married through premarital counseling, and are teens and adults suffering from ADHD.
My approach
Primarily, I use Cognitive Behavioral therapy and attachment theory, along with bits of homework and challenging clients to assess for what it takes for a "problem" to be adjusted. In what ways can we rethink about beliefs and protruding thoughts that drive behaviors? I will work as hard as the client will work!
My focus
I work with couples and women individually on a normal basis. I also see teen girls 15-18 years of age. I have led groups in the past. My passions are working with clients who endure the effects of adult ADHD, anger management issues, conflict resolution, grief and loss, anxiety, fertility and pregnancy issues, foster/adopt, clergy families, and divorcing/blended families.
My communication style
I create a tone for change and transformation. My goal is to work as hard as the client will work, and also give homework to help the client work through thoughts on discussed subjects for more than just an hour a week during our sessions.
My journey to mental healthcare
I was interested in psychology in college and grew to love the subject. I was driven to know more and learned what I could in undergrad, making a minor in the subject area. I realized that therapy was an optimal fit for my personality and it became my passion. I was driven further to this field due to my own history of pain and issues that I now counsel people on. This is a 180 effect!
My goals for you
The goals need to be the client's goals, with achievable and manageable steps to reach the goal. We discuss the issue, set the goals, and discuss the goals each session.
My first session with you
We will discuss intake paperwork, go over the type of therapy the client can expect from me, and also what kind of therapy they received in the past, if any. I will go through the identity intake and the goals sheet to get to know the client more for the first session.
