About Sara
Dr. Sara Lewis-Stankus offers calm, direct support for people facing stress, anxiety, relationship strains, low self-esteem, and career challenges. She meets people where they are and helps them take practical steps toward change.
Her style is warm and nonjudgmental, focused on clear goals and small, workable shifts. She brings 26 years of experience as a licensed professional counselor (LPC) and a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) in West Virginia. Sessions aim to identify unhelpful patterns and replace them with strategies that actually fit daily life.
Background and approach
That might mean changing negative thought habits, building better communication skills, or practicing grounding techniques for anxiety. Her work draws on client-centered methods that prioritize the person's values and pace. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques are used to spot and adjust thoughts and actions that feed stress.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills help with emotional regulation and distress tolerance when feelings feel overwhelming. For trauma-related concerns she may use Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing to reduce the hold of upsetting memories. For relationship difficulties she incorporates elements of the Gottman Method to improve communication and repair patterns that cause recurring conflict.
People who choose Dr. Lewis-Stankus often want practical tools and steady support rather than quick fixes. She guides clients through realistic steps toward clearer thinking, improved relationships, and greater day-to-day functioning.
Work proceeds at a pace the client can manage, with attention to what matters most in their life.
Approaches That Fit Into Online Care
Dr. Lewis-Stankus blends approaches to meet practical needs. Client-Centered Therapy focuses on the person's own goals and values and creates space for honest conversation about what matters most. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and actions and teaches straightforward strategies to reduce anxiety and improve mood.Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will work with each person to identify which methods match their goals, preferences, and current concerns. Treatment plans are adjusted over time so the work stays relevant and useful.
Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video visits allow face-to-face interaction for deeper conversation and skill coaching. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or when a shorter check-in fits a busy day. Live chat and text messaging let people send updates, ask quick questions, or review techniques between sessions. These formats make it easier to fit therapy into work, caregiving, or travel schedules while keeping the focus on progress and usable skills.
Frequently asked questions
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
Also works with
- Abandonment
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Attachment issues
- Body image
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Coaching
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Divorce and separation
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 26 years
- Licensed
- West Virginia, California, Florida
- Languages
- English