- Guilt and shame
- CBT and DBT skills
- Career and communication
About Sara
Dr. Sara Lewis-Stankus is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) with 26 years of experience. She works with adults on stress, anxiety, relationships, self-esteem, career concerns, and coaching needs. She also addresses issues such as guilt and shame, forgiveness, abandonment, and isolation.
She uses straightforward conversation to help people name what feels stuck. Sessions focus on noticing patterns, testing new ways of responding, and practicing small changes between meetings. She talks through relationship concerns and communication problems in clear, practical terms.
Dr. Lewis-Stankus draws on several approaches to match what a person needs. She may use client-centered work to prioritize a person's goals, cognitive behavioral ideas to address unhelpful thoughts, or skills from dialectical behavior therapy to manage intense feelings. She also incorporates methods aimed at healing difficult memories or relationship patterns where appropriate.
Her work often includes setting short-term goals and simple exercises to try between sessions. People can expect direct feedback, reflection on behaviors, and step-by-step strategies for coping with stress or shame. The focus is on what a person can do day to day to feel less stuck.
Dr. Lewis-Stankus practices in West Virginia and offers care in English. She supports adults who want to work on emotional pain, relationship strain, career decisions, and the leftover weight of past events. To begin, the site directs people to a short matching questionnaire and scheduling flow.
How her therapeutic approaches work in online sessions
Dr. Lewis-Stankus commonly uses client-centered work and cognitive behavioral therapy in her practice. Client-centered work focuses on the person's goals and priorities, using listening and reflection to clarify what the client wants to change. Cognitive behavioral therapy looks at thoughts and behaviors together, offering practical exercises to test new ways of thinking and acting when anxiety or shame appear.She also draws on dialectical behavior therapy skills for intense emotions. DBT skills teach concrete techniques for distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and clearer communication when feelings spike or relationships strain. These approaches are used to match what a person needs, and she will collaborate with each person to decide the best fit based on their goals and preferences.
Confirm current session formats before booking so you know how sessions will be scheduled. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy day, allow shorter check-ins when time is limited, and reduce travel time. Therapists and licensed professionals often use these practical benefits to help people keep consistent appointments while working on issues like guilt, shame, stress, and relationship communication.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
26+ years
Listed in
West Virginia, California, Florida
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she focus on?
She works with stress, anxiety, relationship issues, self-esteem, career concerns, and coaching. Additional topics include guilt and shame, forgiveness, abandonment, isolation, and communication problems.
How would she approach feelings of guilt or shame?
She uses conversational, practical work to help name the feeling, trace the patterns that keep it going, and try small behavioral or thinking changes to lessen its grip.
What is her professional background?
She has 26 years of professional experience working with adults on emotional and relationship concerns.
What credentials and location are listed?
She holds LPC and LMHC credentials and practices in West Virginia under WV LPC and FL LMHC licensure details as provided.
Can sessions be conducted in other languages?
Sessions are offered in English.
Does she work with international clients?
She accepts international clients as indicated in her profile.
How do sessions and cost work?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session through the site's flow.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.