- Client-centered care
- Goal focused
- Trauma informed
About Sara
Sara Figueroa is an LCSW with 14 years of social work experience. She trained at Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service and has worked across child welfare, substance use, crisis response, sexual assault advocacy, hospice, and grief counseling. She practices in Wisconsin and brings experience from diverse settings and communities.
Her approach is practical and person-focused. She centers conversations on where people are now and helps them set realistic goals. Sessions emphasize listening without judgment and guiding clients toward coping skills that fit their daily life. She uses short-term problem solving alongside longer work when needed.
Sara draws from client-centered methods that keep the client's priorities first. She also uses cognitive behavioral techniques to identify unhelpful thinking and test new behaviors. Motivational interviewing helps when someone is weighing change or dealing with addictive behavior.
Narrative and solution-focused ideas appear in her work too. These help people reframe painful experiences and build concrete steps toward change. She adapts plans together with each person rather than imposing a fixed program.
People bring many concerns to therapy with her, including stress, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship strain, parenting challenges, addiction, and trauma. She also helps people coping with natural or human-caused disaster and with caregiver stress. The focus is on practical support, steady listening, and collaborative planning to help move forward.
How her approaches guide online work
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on the person's own goals and perspectives. The therapist listens, reflects, and helps people decide what matters most to them and what to work on next. This approach is useful when someone needs a supportive, nonjudgmental space to sort feelings.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts, feelings, and actions connect. It breaks problems into small steps and tests practical changes in thinking or behavior. CBT often helps with anxiety, depression, coping with life changes, and managing reactions after traumatic events.
Motivational Interviewing is a conversational method that helps people find their own reasons to change. It can be helpful for addiction concerns or when someone feels stuck about making a change.
Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to decide which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences. That plan can shift over time as progress is made and priorities change.
If you are considering online therapy, confirm the session options before booking so you know what formats are offered. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, shorten check-ins when schedules demand it, or avoid travel time. Licensed professionals can adapt CBT and motivational interviewing tools for remote sessions to help with coping, behavior change, and managing stress after disasters.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
14+ years
Credentials
Illinois, Wisconsin
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she address?
Sara works with a broad range of concerns such as stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, grief, trauma and abuse, relationship issues, parenting strain, self-esteem, bipolar concerns, and compassion fatigue.
How would you describe her therapy style?
The style is collaborative and no-nonsense. She listens without judgment, helps set clear goals, and combines short-term strategies with deeper work as needed.
What background does she bring to sessions?
She has 14 years in social work across child welfare advocacy, substance use treatment, crisis intervention, sexual assault response, and hospice and grief counseling.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She holds the Licensed Clinical Social Worker credential (LCSW) and practices in Wisconsin. The biography also notes licensure in Illinois as IL LCSW and Wisconsin as WI LCSW.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Does she accept clients from other countries?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are costs handled for sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What is the first step to begin therapy?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.