Sarah Zimmerman
Online & In-Person
Therapist/LCSW
Lakewood Ranch, Florida, Maryland, and 2 more...
License SW17459
sarahelainezimmermanlcsw.comAbout Sarah
Are you ready to make some changes? I’m a therapist with 25+ years of experience. I help clients with anxiety and trauma develop new skills and insights to feel calmer, confident and in control. If you are struggling with feeling fearful, nervous, overwhelmed, irritable and physically ill, I can help. Therapy can provide you with the tools to be your authentic self, improve relationships and just feel better.
I’m Certified in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing and am a Certified Clinical Anxiety Professional and a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (Level II). I would love to speak with you about any questions you have and what you’d like to accomplish in therapy. I offer a free 15 minute phone consultation to see if we’d work well together. Let’s chat today.
$160 - 175 per session
How do you work with clients with anxiety?
Effective anxiety treatment focuses on the worry thoughts, emotions, behaviors and physical symptoms. This is a total mind-body approach because stress really does make us feel sick. I’m a Certified Clinical Anxiety Professional and will support you with your goal of decreasing anxiety. Maybe you want to feel more social and less avoidance. Or you feel irritable, overwhelmed and overthink in some situations. You will learn ways to challenge negative thoughts, regulate fear and stop self-defeating behaviors. We can use CBT, DBT and EMDR therapies. These are treatments that have been extensively researched and proven effective.
Why did you become a therapist, and what motivates you to continue?
In my childhood I saw so much sadness and pain in the world. I felt compassion toward people who were struggling with feeling different, unaccepted and unloved. Some were being ignored, neglected or abused. I didn’t want to ignore disturbing situations and the way I felt when I saw this. I just wanted to help in any way that I could. As a therapist I now have the skills and training to help people in difficult situations who want to move past their suffering. I see their strengths and ways to find solutions. I want to support my clients' path to living their best lives.
For people that are hesitant to try therapy, what do you wish you could tell them?
Please don’t be afraid or apprehensive of the process. It’s my job to help you feel accepted and comfortable in a judgment-free setting. You are deserving and good enough. We will tailor the treatment to your needs, what you want yo get out of therapy, and your feedback is super helpful. We can control the pace of therapy so that you feel safe and can tolerate the work that you’re doing. The therapeutic relationship is a professional partnership and your input is so important. I want you to feel in control and empowers. Please share your questions and concerns. Take the step and give it a try.
What does a typical session with you tend to look like?
At your first session I will get to know you and you will get to know me. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. Really, anything about the process is ok to ask! I’ll respectfully listen to your history and hear more about your goals for therapy. I will share my clinical opinion about effective treatment options based on your symptoms. You will give me feedback about what you’d like to try or what you’ve tried in the past- and didn’t like. We will discuss new coping skills and homework, which we will blend with your unique strengths to creat powerful interventions. These will be based on the thoughts, emotions and patterns of behavior you describe to me. I will support you as you practice these techniques and will adjust the treatment plan with your input on what’s the best for you. I want to know what’s working and what doesn’t feel like the right fit for you. I believe that you can create significant changes in your life and I will cheer you on.
How can you provide care remotely?
I’m a trained and Certified Telehealth Practitioner in Florida. Telehealth therapy is effective and convenient. Although the telehealth grew out of necessity during the pandemic, it is a popular option for therapy and is here to stay. Many people love to have therapy in the privacy and comfort of their own home. I use a HIPAA secure platform to protect your privacy. We will make sure that you are aware of local resources in your community and feel safe with the virtual setting. Please reach out to me if you are interested in therapy.
How does trauma focused therapy work and how can it help?
It's important to work with a therapist who has years of experience in working with trauma. I'm a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (Level II) and have 25+ years of experience working with survivors of childhood abuse, sexual assault, relational violence, gun violence and the 9/11 terrorist attack. Experiencing a life threatening event (or an event that feels devastating) has an impact on how you think and feel. You might also feel the trauma response in your body: have you ever cringed, wanted to run away, felt nauseous or numb when you were reminded of a stressful event? You had to survive the event and use whatever skills were available to you. Trauma focused therapy works to decrease the negative emotions and bodily sensations. We also work on the negative beliefs you tell yourself because of what you went through. Often the brain generalizes to other situations such as a thought of "I'm not safe anywhere". That's not a very comfortable belief to have and only feels true. It also leads to avoidance of any situation going forward that could be frightening. Good trauma work focuses on all components: thoughts, emotions, the body and behaviors. You can do this with several types of therapy like Cognitive Processing Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing and even Psychodynamic therapy.
It's important to know that you are not your trauma even though it has had an impact on your life. You won't forget what happened to you, but it will no longer hold you back and you will feel it less intensively. Post traumatic growth is the belief that you have many strengths and abilities, not because of the trauma you went through, but in spite of what you went through. You survived the adversity because you are a strong, worthy and an amazing person.
Interested in talking?
(561) 508-8809