ABOUT SARAH
Thoughtful therapy,
grounded in relationship.
I’m Sarah Notebaert, LCSW, CAADC, CCTP, a licensed clinical social worker providing individual psychotherapy to adolescents and adults in Wayne, Pennsylvania and throughout the state via telehealth.
I work especially well with people who are insightful, capable, and often highly attuned to the people around them—yet find themselves struggling with anxiety, relationships, trauma, perfectionism, addiction or recovery, or patterns that remain difficult to change despite understanding them intellectually.
My style is warm, active, relational, and direct. I believe therapy works best when you feel genuinely understood, while also having enough trust in the relationship to look honestly at the patterns that may be keeping you stuck.
Learn about my approach →
You may be used to being the person who has it together.
WHO I WORK BEST WITH
Many of the people I work with are thoughtful, perceptive, responsible, and highly capable. They may function well at school, work, or in relationships, yet internally feel anxious, overwhelmed, uncertain, self-critical, or disconnected from what they actually want.
You may recognize yourself in patterns like:
overthinking everything
feeling responsible for other people’s emotions
difficulty saying no
needing reassurance but feeling embarrassed to ask for it
becoming highly attuned to changes in other people
working hard to avoid disappointing anyone
appearing calm while feeling overwhelmed internally
Or in experiences like:
recurring relationship patterns
trauma or painful earlier experiences
perfectionism
addiction or recovery
compulsive behavior
grief or major life transitions
difficulty trusting yourself
feeling “too much” or “not enough” depending
on the situation
You do not have to arrive with the right language for what is happening.
We can work toward understanding
it together.
Symptoms make more sense when we understand what they are protecting.
HOW I THINK ABOUT THE WORK
I do not tend to think of anxiety, perfectionism, avoidance, compulsive behavior, people-pleasing, or relationship patterns as isolated problems to eliminate. More often, they developed for a reason. They may have helped you maintain connection, manage uncertainty, protect yourself from disappointment, or navigate experiences that once felt overwhelming.
Therapy involves becoming curious about those adaptations rather than judging them. Together, we can begin to understand where they came from, what they are trying to accomplish, and whether they are still helping you now.
That does not mean therapy is only about the past. Understanding history matters because it can help us recognize what is happening in the present—and create more choice in how you respond.
The question is often not simply, ‘How do I stop doing this?’ but ‘What has this been helping me survive, avoid, or maintain?
That shift—from judgment to curiosity—is often where meaningful change begins.
IN THE ROOM
I am not a silent therapist.
I listen carefully, but I am also active in the process. I ask questions, reflect patterns I notice, make connections, and sometimes challenge you when I believe doing so may help us understand something more clearly.
Engaged
You should feel that I am genuinely with you in the room—not simply observing from a distance.
Curious
I am interested in the meaning beneath the surface: what you felt, what you expected, what you feared, and what made a particular response feel necessary.
Direct
When I notice a pattern that seems important, I will name it carefully and respectfully. Therapy can be compassionate without avoiding difficult truths.
I believe the therapeutic relationship itself can become a place where new ways of relating are practiced—not just discussed.
TRAINING & CREDENTIALS
Clinical training grounded in depth and practical change.
Licensure & Credentials
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
Certified Advanced Alcohol & Drug Counselor (CAADC)
Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP)
EMDR Trained
CSAT Candidate
Education & Advanced Training
Master of Social Work, University of Pennsylvania
Bachelor of Arts, University of Notre Dame
EMDR basic training + consultation
Ongoing CSAT training through IITAP
Advanced work in trauma, addiction, attachment, relational psychotherapy, and compulsive sexual behavior
Professional orientations may include relational and attachment-based psychotherapy, psychodynamic psychotherapy, EMDR, cognitive and behavioral interventions, motivational interviewing, mindfulness, and family-systems concepts.
OUTSIDE THE OFFICE
A little more about me.
Outside of work, I am usually happiest somewhere that involves movement, books, art, or being outdoors. I enjoy running, cycling, spending time with my dog, traveling, and finding places that make everyday life feel a little more interesting.
Before becoming a therapist, I studied visual communication design, and I still care deeply about creativity, space, and the way environments shape how we feel.
I value curiosity, humor, honesty, and relationships where people can be fully themselves. Those values influence the way I show up in therapy as well.
Therapy can be both thoughtful and deeply human.
WORK WITH SARAH
If you are looking for a therapist who will help you understand both what you are experiencing and the patterns beneath it, we can begin with a brief consultation.
Questions first? Contact Sarah →