Sara Tinker

Sara Tinker is a licensed clinical social worker practicing in Tennessee with 26 years of professional experience helping people navigate stress, anxiety, relationship concerns, trauma and abuse, self-esteem and mood disorders, addiction, grief, family conflicts, and a range of other life challenges. She holds a Tennessee clinical social work license (TN LCSW 1046), which reflects her training and scope to provide clinical psychotherapy in the state.

Her approach combines long-standing psychodynamic foundations - including Self-Psychology, Object Relations, and Systems and Family Therapy - with experiential and somatic methods such as Somatic Experiencing and EMDR. She completed EMDR training through the Personal Transformation Institute and is enrolled in the two-year Advanced EMDR Certification program approved by EMDRIA. She is also enrolled in Dr. Peter Levine’s Somatic Experiencing training. In addition, she is affiliated with the Southern Sandtray Institute Group and provides sandtray work with clients of all ages alongside family and couples therapy.

Sara’s background blends clinical training and diverse life experiences. Early study in Exercise Physiology and Wellness included a research thesis on aerobic fitness and stress perception, and her studies in yoga and meditation at the Pennsylvania Himalayan Institute included travel and study in India and Nepal. Graduate training at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville included work at a clinic for victims of sexual abuse, community mental health, acute adolescent psychiatric and addiction services, and in-home adolescent and child treatment. She opened a private practice in 1992 and has continued to expand her skills through trainings such as work with Rev. Becca Stevens in 1997 and collaborations with programs supporting women recovering from trafficking, prostitution, homelessness, and addiction.

Clinically, she draws from a variety of modalities including person-centered methods, DBT skills, attachment-focused work, and problem-focused interventions tailored to each person. Her style is warm, interactive, and engaged, grounded in the belief that a trusting therapeutic relationship is the foundation for meaningful change. Sara treats people with dignity, sensitivity, and compassion, focusing on strengths, hopes, and possibilities rather than limiting labels or past mistakes.

Because she has navigated many life transitions herself - including long-distance relationships, loss of family, career changes, chronic pain, caregiving concerns, and recovery-related issues - she brings both personal understanding and professional tools to her work. She values the healing potential of therapy, support groups, and body-energy approaches, and aims to help clients develop clearer communication, deeper connection, healthier boundaries, improved family dynamics, and a fuller sense of authentic self and well-being.