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Therapist profile

Sara Dabney

LCSW Florida 5 years of experience

Practical therapy for life transitions

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Sara Dabney
  • CBT and mindfulness
  • Values-focused work
  • Support for LGBT people

About Sara

Sara Dabney is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) based in Florida. She blends practical therapy methods with a calm, down-to-earth style to help people manage life changes, stress, anxiety, and depression. Her work also addresses trauma and abuse, LGBT concerns, self-esteem, addictions, relationship and intimacy issues, grief, parenting strains, and eating or body-image challenges.

She trained at the University of South Florida where she completed a Master of Social Work and did graduate research on HIV and PTSD symptomatology. Her earlier training as a yoga teacher and in massage therapy influences how she brings breath and body awareness into sessions. She has five years of clinical experience since completing graduate school.

In session she uses cognitive behavioral approaches and mindfulness alongside client-centered methods and elements of motivational interviewing. That means conversations focus on practical skills, noticing unhelpful patterns, and choosing small, values-based steps. Sessions include exercises and homework people can try between meetings.

Sara welcomes people of all genders and sexual orientations and has experience supporting concerns related to adoption and foster care, autism and Asperger syndrome, caregiving stress, chronic illness and pain, and recovery from domestic violence or substance problems. She also works with people navigating divorce, dissociation, emptiness, and complex co-morbid issues.

People who want to begin are invited to use the site to start the matching process and schedule a first meeting. She describes therapy as a collaborative process that centers a person’s goals and everyday life.

Using CBT and Mindfulness in Online Care

Sara often draws on cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness therapy when working with stress, anxiety, depression, and life transitions. CBT helps identify unhelpful thinking and build concrete skills to change behaviors and reactions. Mindfulness therapy teaches simple present-moment awareness and grounding practices that reduce reactivity and support emotional regulation.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, day-to-day realities, and what feels most useful. That collaboration helps shape whether sessions focus more on skill-building, values-driven action, or mindful practice.

Confirm current session options before booking so you know which formats are available. Online therapy can make it easier to fit care into a busy life - it can reduce travel time, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and make scheduling around work or caregiving more flexible. Licensed professionals can guide pragmatic exercises you can practice between meetings so therapy connects with real-world changes.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Also works with

AddictionsRelationship issuesFamily conflictsGriefIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersParenting issuesAnger managementCoping with life changes

Additional focus areas

Adoption and foster careAutism and Asperger SyndromeBDSM, kink, and alternative sex cultureBody imageCancerCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCo-morbidityCommunication problemsDissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFamily problemsFirst responder issuesForgivenessGender dysphoriaGuilt and shameHIV / AIDSHoardingInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessLife purposeMood disordersPanic disorder and panic attacksPersonality disordersPhobiasPolyamory / non-monogamous relationshipsPost-traumatic stressSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-loveSex addictionSexual assault and abuseSexual dysfunctionSexualitySmoking / vaping cessationSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Mindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingSomatic TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

5+ years

Credentials

Florida

Languages

English

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does she address?

Sara supports people with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, self-esteem, addictions, relationship and intimacy issues, grief, parenting stress, eating and body-image concerns, and coping with life changes.

How does she approach therapy?

She combines cognitive behavioral strategies, mindfulness techniques, client-centered care, and motivational interviewing to teach skills, notice patterns, and set small, values-based steps.

What is her professional background?

She holds a Master of Social Work from the University of South Florida and has about five years of clinical experience following graduate training and research related to HIV and PTSD symptomatology.

Where is she licensed and located?

Sara is an LCSW licensed in Florida and practices from that state.

Which languages are supported?

Sessions are offered in English.

Does she work with international clients?

International clients are not accepted at this time.

How are sessions priced?

Cost varies with location and therapist scheduling; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

How do I begin a series of sessions?

Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to therapist availability.

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