Sara Lopes

Compassionate, practical care with evidence-based tools

LMHC Massachusetts

Experience: 8 years in practice
Focus areas: Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Trauma and abuse
Approaches: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Client-Centered Therapy
Languages: English

About Sara

Sara Lopes is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) with eight years of clinical experience, bringing a client-centered and cognitive behavioral perspective to her work. She draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Mindfulness, and narrative approaches to tailor care to each individual's needs.

Background and approach

Sara prioritizes learning who a person is and moving at their pace to determine which strategies will be most useful. Her background includes extensive social work supporting people facing housing instability, serious mental health concerns, and substance use challenges, and she has substantial experience with stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, depression, and related concerns.

Sara emphasizes practical tools alongside compassionate support so clients can notice relief and build confidence over time. She aims to be a respectful, caring ally who helps clients identify values, set goals, and develop skills that feel authentic to them.

Sara maintains online office hours Monday through Saturday and reserves Sunday as a personal day. For new clients she is currently offering messaging and live chat sessions, and she guides each person through a matching and scheduling process when they choose to begin therapy.

Online approaches that emphasize skills and collaboration

Many of Sara's methods focus on building practical skills and understanding how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors connect. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy offers concrete strategies to identify and shift unhelpful thinking patterns and behavioral habits, which can help with anxiety, depression, panic, and substance use concerns. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes a respectful, nonjudgmental therapeutic relationship where the client's experience guides the pace and direction of work, supporting growth through empathy and validation. Dialectical Behavior Therapy contributes skill-based tools for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and improving interpersonal effectiveness, useful for anger, intense emotions, and relational difficulties.

Deciding on an approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will work with each person to explore goals, preferences, and what has or has not helped before, and then recommend and adapt methods so they fit the client’s needs and circumstances.

Online sessions are offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, which makes it easier to access therapy from home or elsewhere. These formats provide scheduling flexibility and multiple ways to communicate between sessions, allowing clients to choose the style that best supports their routine and comfort.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does she address?

Sara works with a wide range of issues including stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, depression, relationship and family concerns, grief, parenting challenges, and self-esteem difficulties.

What therapeutic style can I expect?

The approach is collaborative and client-centered, drawing on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, DBT skills, mindfulness, and narrative techniques to match methods to each person's needs.

What is her professional background?

She has eight years of experience and a history of social work with low-income populations and people experiencing housing instability, alongside clinical work with serious mental health and substance use concerns.

Where is she licensed and based?

Sara is licensed as an LMHC with credential details MA LMHC 11731 and practices from Massachusetts.

Does she work with non-English speakers or international clients?

Sessions are conducted in English and she is not accepting international clients at this time.

Which session formats are available?

Therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, though new clients are currently offered messaging and live chat only.

How are sessions billed and what do they cost?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions are provided through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.

What steps are involved in starting therapy?

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

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, Anxiety Addictions Trauma and abuse Depression

Also works with

Relationship issuesFamily conflictsGriefIntimacy-related issuesParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemBipolar disorderADHD

Additional focus areas

Domestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionFamily problemsFirst responder issuesForgivenessGuilt and shame Isolation / lonelinessMoney and financial issuesPanic disorder and panic attacks Post-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-loveSexual assault and abuseSmoking / vaping cessationSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issues

Therapeutic approaches

Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Mindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

8+ years

Licensed

Massachusetts

Languages

English