Sarah Spurling , LCSW

Sarah Spurling is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) based in Illinois who helps people feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, or emotionally stuck. She sees adults dealing with anxiety, stress, trauma, grief, and challenges to self-esteem. Sarah also supports people navigating LGBT concerns and those exploring autism and later-in-life diagnoses.

Her approach is relational and supportive. She focuses on building a trusting connection so people can show up without masking or over-explaining. Sessions are paced to match each person's readiness rather than pushing change before someone feels prepared.

In therapy Sarah listens for what matters most to the individual and works on practical skills that fit daily life. She uses techniques that help slow racing thoughts, manage strong emotions, and reduce avoidance. Clients often work on identifying unhelpful patterns and finding small, steady steps toward feeling more grounded.

Sarah draws on a mix of approaches including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and client-centered methods. This gives her flexibility to adapt tools to the client rather than forcing one method on everyone.

She has three years of clinical experience as an LCSW in Illinois. Many people come to her wanting help with trauma recovery, navigating identity and gender questions, coping with chronic stress, or improving how they relate to themselves and others. Getting started begins with a short matching process and scheduling a first session.

Therapeutic approaches and how they fit online

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on noticing thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them, then choosing actions that align with what matters. It can help with anxiety, stress, and making values-based choices during life transitions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at patterns of thought and behavior to reduce unhelpful reactions and teach clear skills for managing symptoms like worry and low mood. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) emphasizes emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and clearer communication for people who experience intense emotions or relationship struggles.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist collaborates with each person to test methods, adjust techniques, and settle on what helps most given their goals and preferences. That collaborative process continues as therapy unfolds so adjustments are made when they are needed.

Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different needs. Video calls are useful when visual cues and face-to-face interaction matter. Phone sessions can be a good option when bandwidth is limited or a simpler check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging support ongoing check-ins and brief skill practice between sessions. These options make it easier to keep therapy consistent around work, caregiving, or mobility constraints.