Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Saunders.
Hi Sarah, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hi, my name is Sarah Saunders; I am 34, and I am a wife (to Justin) and mom to 4 precious little boys – Beckham (6), Andersen (4.5), Tristan (3 – he is my neurodivergent kiddos, and has Autism) Noah is 15 months. I am an LPCC -S: Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, with my supervisor designation. I am the owner and lead therapist at Purposeful Growth and Wellness my Cleveland-based therapy private practice (Please check out the website for more information (https://purposefulgrowthandwellness.com/). I have extensive background in marriage and family therapy and work primarily with adults and couples – motherhood across the lifespan, parents, and couples.
Gosh my story…
Growing up, I have always wanted to help others, and I was a mini entrepreneur…I took all the classes to be a certified babysitter, and that day, I was putting flyers in neighbors’ mailboxes in case they needed a mommy helper. On vacations, I would bring my string and beads to the pool and sell bracelets. I have always been extremely active and social and love connecting with people. Fast forward, I had multi-passionate and had many different jobs throughout high school and college. I ended up graduation from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2011 with a dual major of Psychology and Art Therapy.
Counseling and owning a private practice was always a big dream and goal for me. I then moved on to graduate school and received my master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy from The University of Akron. Immediately after I graduated, I was hired on to a private practice that I had been an intern for during the latter half of my grad program. I then transitioned to another private practice and worked there from 2016-2020 navigating life working and with 2 littles. Much of my time was spent working with children, and I loved it for a variety of reasons. However, as you will learn, I always felt something was missing, and the parents were the ones that truly needed the support, which is why my niche transitioned from working with kids to working with the parents, moms specifically.
However, in June of 2020, I had my third son and also opened my private practice in the same month. I signed the paperwork to my lease in March of 2020, 1 week before the stay-at-home order went into effect – plus I was 9 months pregnant with my 3rd baby. I opened my practice June 1st and was providing virtual teletherapy sessions in a small closet in my basement (which I’ve never done a virtual therapy session prior to that time), with 2 toddlers running around, limited childcare, and some days thinking I was going into labor with Braxton hicks’ contractions (life was wild haha). I gave birth June 17th, 2020, took 5 weeks off, and then started back seeing clients offering telehealth sessions between nursing sessions with the baby.
Oh, and I also was a co-host for a podcast called ‘That’s A Hard No’ that I was co-host for 2 sessions. The podcast was all about saying no and setting boundaries so that you could live a life that is alignment with you. With that message and mission of the podcast, I did decide to step down after 2 seasons – it served me very well, and I learned a lot…I also knew I wanted to go in a different direction. Plus, I welcomed baby boy #4, and let me tell you…4 kids felt like a million, especially having a special needs son.
I knew that stated to get serious about expanding my practice, which I am still in the process of, plus I started The Connecting Parenting Series, which is a speaking series I offer to families. Going back to my decision to work with adults and families – I view things from a systemic perspective meaning that I look at the whole family system. I learned early on, and it was even more apparent when I become a mom the lack of support there are during motherhood/parenthood. I decided to create The Connected Parenting series as an opportunity for parents to learn more about themselves and how to raise the next generation. I provide evidenced-based research in an easily digestible format to leave parents feeling inspired, empowered, and equipped to build strong bonds with themselves, their partner, and their kids. I teach on breaking cycles, reparenting yourself, the invisible mental load of motherhood, sharing the load of home and parenting, real-life strategies (sorry I could go on and on about this).
I now offer both in-person and virtual therapy, plus do speaking engagements, workshops, and will be continuing to build my social media presence to offer more courses, memberships, etc.
I am and will forever be a student in the world – meaning I LOVE to learn. I read books, listen to podcasts and take time to constantly stay curious to learn more about myself and the world around me. I want to help others by sharing all that I know to help them better themselves and their relationships. I know self-care is a buzzword; however, my mission and a stable at my practice is wellness. It is imperative that as humans, we are putting our own oxygen masks on first – taking care of ourselves, so we can show up as our best self, and that then allows our people to get the best of us, rather what’s left of us.
I am very active and truly feel like I never stop haha I am an endurance athlete – running, trail running, hiking, strength training, HIIT workouts…etc.
Gosh, that was a lot – I hope I answered the question 🙂
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Oh, my goodness, it has been super rocky and yet beautiful.
I have shed many tears, contemplated walking away from the profession, and had to say no, some really freaking hard nos to leave room for yeses that I knew would eventually come. Creating a brand and building a practice while having 4 young children has been so incredibly humbling. I coined the term “shitty committee,” that meets in my head and tells me all the reasons to give up or the whole “imposter syndrome.” However, I never stopped dreaming, believing, fighting, and honoring my “why” behind my mission and vision. There is still so much growth, and I big things are still yet to come!
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I think what sets me apart from others is my passion and authenticity. (You are more than welcome to see the reviews through Google on what people have said about me and my practice.)
I am most proud of what I have build and that I have continued to truly practice what I preach. I LOVE what I do, and I know that it shows in the work I do. My clients are the experts; they know themselves best, and it is my job and privilege to hold space from them as they do the deeper work. I guide and help peel back layers, pause to highlight key connections, and ultimately help heal, grow, and learn while teaching them to intuitively listen to their body and lead a life in alignment with that they REALLY want not which generations before did or society tells them they should.
Also, being a woman entrepreneur, business owner, mom of 4 littles, parent to a special needs ‘neurodivergent child,’ an incredibly loving and healthy marriage and I am taking care of myself – mind, body, soul. I want other women to know that it is possible – they don’t have to wait till their kids are out of the house to follow their dreams or lead the life they want – they can do it now, and it’s so important for them to do it now so they can model that type of mindset and skillset to their kids. (Again, I could go on and on lol)
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters to me most is planting seeds wherever I go. I want to make an impact in the world that leaves those I am in contact with feeling better, inspired, empowered, and accepted. When I am living out my purpose, leading a life that is in alignment with my values, everyone benefits. My purpose in this world is what allows me to get out of bed every morning, to love on my kids and husband, show up in this world on the hardest of days…
Contact Info:
- Website: https://purposefulgrowthandwellness.com/
- Instagram: purposefulgrowthandwellness momlife.therapist
- Facebook: Sarah Saunders and Purposeful Growth and Wellness
- Linkedin: sarah-saunders-ma-lpcc-7a2b4b127
