Sara Mitchell, LMSW

I am a Licensed Master of Social Work pursuing a clinical license under the supervision of Ingrid Ponciano. I completed Social Work graduate work at George Mason University and Political Science undergraduate work at Virginia Tech.

My therapeutic training is primarily in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Internal Family Systems. I integrate these in ways that align with your specific goals and challenges - whether they relate to anxiety, social anxiety, PTSD, depression, or OCD. Prior to Vertex, I worked in K-12 and university clinical settings, so I also have experience providing practical support if your mental health is impacting your executive functioning.

I encourage clients to adapt the conventional talk therapy with any tools that can help you more comfortably communicate, process, and reflect. So please bring to sessions anything like journal entries, songs, movie clips, tarot cards, etc.

Therapy is a third career of sorts for me, with prior jobs in journalism and health care policy. That experience has taught me how much our environment and societal policies impact our mental and physical health. Whether I was reporting on addiction or lobbying for health care affordability, I saw first-hand how stigma and shame make people hesitant to seek out necessary care - and I strive to acknowledge and support clients who are feeling shame of any kind.

Additionally, I am an affirming and safe therapist option for clients who identify as disabled, chronically ill, neurodivergent and/or identify as LGBTQ+.