Sarah Okugawa

Biography

Qualifications & Experience

I am a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) with over six years of professional counseling experience. I received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, and a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Redlands in Redlands, California. I refined my clinical skills at Loma Linda’s Behavioral Medicine Center as well as Casa de Amparo, working with children, teens, adolescents, families, couples, and adults.

My Call to Christian Counseling

Growing up, I was drawn to a helping profession. I knew this was my path since high school and pursued it wholeheartedly.

More About Me/On a Personal Note

My husband and I have a daughter who was born in June 2019. As a family, we enjoy going to the beach, hiking, singing worship music, and spending time with extended family.

Services and Specialities

Areas of Expertise/Specialties

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Couples Counseling
• Marriage Counseling
• Premarital Counseling
• Counseling for Children
• Counseling for Teens
• Play Therapy
• Family Counseling
• Trauma Counseling
• Women’s Issues
• Grief and Loss
• Individual counseling

Play Therapy

Often children have a desire to express their emotions and feelings but do not have the language to do so. On the flip side, children can also express their feelings and emotions in ways that are deemed as “inappropriate.” Play therapy allows children to not only express their feelings in their own language but gives them an outlet to do so. It can be the catalyst for learning new skills and expression in children.

Counseling for Children, Adolescents, and Teens

Growing up in the world we live in now can be overwhelming at times. There are new pressures for adolescents and teens with cell phones, social media, peer pressure, evolving cultural norms, not to mention new body changes. Our children need a healthy outlet to discuss the difficulties of everyday life while also developing new skills to understand that all behaviors have consequences (both positive and negative). A Christian-centered approach to counseling teenagers can help develop their own uniqueness in knowing the Lord, as well as provide families with more stability.

Family Counseling and Parenting Issues

Not only is it difficult to be an adolescent in today’s world, it is just as difficult to be a parent. Family counseling can provide a safe space to discuss difficult issues in parents’ lives as well as the children’s lives. It provides a godly foundation to maintain family structure and bonds as well as insights into one another. Parenting is one of the hardest jobs you will face, but you don’t have to do it alone. God intended for humans to make connections and live together. It takes a village to raise children and counseling can become part of your village.

Couples and Marriage Counseling

Whether you are newly married, or have been married for 10 years or 50 years, marriage is a wonderful and fun adventure—but it sure is hard. Living with someone who is different from yourself every day can be overwhelming at times. It takes work to value one another on a daily basis.

God did not intend for marriage to be easy, but He did intend for us to place Him at the center of our relationships. As Ecclesiastes 4:12 states, “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Marriage counseling can provide a godly foundation for your everyday walk with one another.

For those soon-to-be married, premarital counseling can better equip you for the struggles you will face. It can also empower you as a couple to place God in the center of your relationship before you say “I do” for a lifetime.

Trauma Counseling

Trauma can happen to anyone at any time. It can be a one-time occurrence, or ongoing and long-lasting. When trauma does occur, whether small or big, it stops you in your tracks and can make you question everything, including your walk of faith. Even when you think you have moved past your trauma, you can immediately be transported back to that day and time by something as simple as a thought, smell, place, or person. Trauma counseling can provide you with a safe space to discuss your life events as well as provide you with education on how our bodies handle and process trauma. It can be easy to question your faith in times of trauma, but remembering God is with you even in the trenches can be an integral part of the healing process.

Payment and Forms

Sessions: I offer 53-minute sessions. Sessions can be held more than once per week, weekly, or every other week. Scheduling options are discussed in greater detail during your Risk-Free Initial Session.

Availability (by office location):

• Online Counseling – Sundays, Mondays, Tuesday, Wednesdays, Thursdays

Fees: I offer a Risk-Free Initial Session for Individuals, Couples, and Groups looking to pursue counseling with me. Please note that there is a fee for the Risk-Free Initial Session as it is a clinical hour and reimbursable to most insurance companies, but if you choose not to reschedule and continue therapy after the initial session the entire fee for the session will be waived.

Insurance: As a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC), most insurance companies will reimburse for a portion of my services (as an Out of Network Provider). Please consult with your insurance provider as to whether they specifically cover adolescents, individuals and couples.

Receipts/Statements: In the event you require a printed or digital receipt, I will provide receipts for personal use, insurance reimbursement, Flex Spending Accounts (FSA), and Health Savings Accounts (HSA).