Sarah is the founding director and clinical supervisor of Focus2. She worked in the US public health sector for nearly a decade before relocating to Hong Kong. She has been counseling and coaching for 20 years and specializes in the treatment of depression, anxiety and trauma. She holds a Masters in Social Science (Counseling) from HKU where she focused on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in refugee populations and developed adaptations to support people in long-term ways. Though Sarah can do short-term interventions, many of her clients decide to work more deeply on historical patterns and chronic mental health issues.

Sarah believes the basis of positive mental health is found in the relationship we have with ourselves and others. As a mother and expat living in Asia for the past 16 years, she emphasizes the importance of friendship with self, communication with family and the community support of others. She believes much of mental health has to do with knowing your own neurobiology, the way your past influenced your coping skills and views, and having the right processes to move intelligently and lovingly into your best possible present and future.

By supporting adults, adolescents and couples to improve their relationships while honing skills to manage life stress, she applies counseling as an empowering tool to help people access their own inherent strength. Sarah advocates for the use of Mindfulness Meditation and is an experienced practitioner of EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). She believes these modalities are fundamental in treating long-standing issues and in creating tangible results for her clients.

Sarah has worked all over the world, including Latin America, Africa and now Asia. Sarah is also a certified yoga teacher and continues to study alternative systems of spiritual and physical health like Buddhism and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Her treatment plans are known for being integrative and her counseling framework diverse, addressing one’s full spectrum of needs.