About Sara Warner

Sara Warner in yellow checkered dress standing in front of a wall of edison bulbs

My Trauma Informed Approach Helps Clients Build Skills & Resilience

There is so much beauty in being honest, vulnerable, and transparent. As a therapist, it is a privilege to be able to create a safe space for my clients—a space that gives them an opportunity to build strength, awareness, and resilience. 

Seeking therapy does not indicate failure or brokenness. I believe we all do the best with the hand we’re dealt, and I’d be honored to walk alongside and support you if you no longer know how to play your cards or are not happy with them. 

My Background

Growing up, I was always the confidant and soundboard in my relationships. People felt they could trust me, and at an early age, I fell in love with the idea of pursuing a helping profession that would allow me to serve others in an unconventional yet meaningful way. 

I also had the benefit of being raised in a very open household where honest communication was the norm. Though we weren’t “perfect,” I can say I felt safety in my early relationships from a very young age. 

Unfortunately, after a traumatic medical experience in middle school, my family had to face some very difficult decisions. During that time, my health was at risk, and I was forced to grow up faster than many of my peers. 

For this reason, I relate to my clients on a deep level—I understand what it’s like to feel labeled by a bad experience and worry that experience will follow us for the rest of our lives. But as an adult on the other side of the hurdle, I can confidently say that I am a stronger person who often forgets what happened all those years ago.

My Approach

I specialize in counseling for individuals who suffer from anxiety, depression, grief, and the aftereffects of unresolved trauma. Taking an integrative approach to counseling, using both humanistic and existential therapies, I help clients build skills and develop new perspectives that can lead to a healthier life. As a strengths-based clinician, I view my clients not by their mistakes or deficits but by their potential. 

I am trauma-informed and trained as a betrayal trauma specialist (APTT), cognitive behavior therapy- trauma focused (CBT-TF), and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).

An Extensive History Working With Children & Families

In addition to my professional experience with children, adolescents, and teens, I’ve spent a lot of time volunteering for youth-centered causes in my community. I’ve volunteered at Children’s Harbor, an organization that serves kids experiencing serious illness and disability, and I devoted all of my summers during undergrad to camp counseling for children of varying ages from different backgrounds.

Throughout college, my clinical research centered around children and families, specifically in the areas of behavior disorders. While working toward my master’s degree, I held a clinical internship at The Amelia Center at Children’s Hospital, which exposed me to outpatient youth mental health services. 

My extensive research and training allow me to view my clients’ experiences through a holistic lens, guiding me in creating inclusive, individualized treatment plans for each client. With a trauma-informed, systemic awareness of various mental health issues, I can help clients locate root causes while building coping skills and resilience. 

Holding A Mirror
To Your Experience
In A Way
That Allows You
To Better Understand & Process Your Pain

If you are in search of an empathetic, strengths-based clinician, I am here to push you towards your greatest potential while reminding you of all the progress you can—and will make—in therapy. To schedule an appointment or consultation to find out if we’re a good fit, email me or fill out the contact info here.

Sara Warner is an Associate Licensed Counselor (under the supervision of Dusty Sivley LPC-S) specializing in child, adolescent, and teen psychology. In 2019, she graduated from the University of Alabama with a Bachelor’s in Psychology and a double minor in Human Development/Family Studies and Addiction and Recovery.

Sara received her Master’s in Counseling Education from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the summer of 2022, with a concentration in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She serves the community of Birmingham, Alabama and throughout the state via Telehealth.

In addition to her degrees, Sara

  • Graduate Certificate in Marriage, Couples, and Family Counseling from the University of Alabama at Birmingham

  • Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)

  • training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

  • Associate Partner Trauma Therapist (APTT) through the International Institute for Trauma & Addiction Professionals (IITAP)