Sarah Axley

Sarah Axley is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker practicing in Virginia. She completed undergraduate and graduate studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, earning a master’s degree in social work and a post-baccalaureate certificate in aging studies through VCU’s Department of Gerontology.

She has provided psychotherapy since 2009 across outpatient mental health clinics, intensive community-based settings, and currently works full time in a hospital setting. She earned her clinical social work license in 2012 while delivering care in an outpatient mental health service.

Her clinical experience includes work with individuals of all ages and backgrounds and with a range of diagnoses, including depressive disorders, bipolar spectrum disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma-related disorders, substance use disorders, schizophrenia spectrum disorders, and autism spectrum disorders. She is considered to be an LGBTQ+ informed psychotherapist and has supported clients coping with grief and loss as well as the stressors associated with COVID and the current social and political climate.

Sarah approaches therapy as a collaborative process focused on helping people gain insight, build skills to manage symptoms, shift unhelpful thinking patterns, and improve communication so they can better understand themselves and move toward their goals. She draws on evidence-based techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational enhancement therapy, and mindfulness training, and practices from a strengths perspective, emphasizing clients' resilience and capacity to manage challenges with appropriate knowledge and tools.

She sees clients on Monday and Wednesday evenings and on Saturday late mornings and afternoons. Between sessions, clients can expect to complete tasks that support progress toward their goals, as a great deal of therapeutic work happens outside the scheduled appointments.