Dr. Sarah Willey

Dr. Sarah Willey is a Missouri psychologist (MO Psychologist 2019045861) with three years of clinical experience. She works with adults facing stress, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, life changes, relationship and family concerns, grief, career questions, bipolar disorder, and compassion fatigue. She also notes focus on life purpose, workplace issues, and young adult concerns.

She completed a PsyD at Wheaton College in 2018 and has worked in college counseling, inpatient and outpatient mental health, and most recently at the VA. That range of settings means she has seen people in different life stages and pressures. Her background includes both short-term and longer-term care environments.

Her practice centers on listening first. Sessions begin by clarifying what matters most to the person and which problems are getting in the way. She draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Client-Centered Therapy, and solution-focused ideas to structure sessions.

Expect practical skills work alongside clearer thinking about values and goals. That can mean learning ways to manage difficult emotions, changing unhelpful thought patterns, or trying small behavioral experiments to test new choices. Conversations also cover relationship patterns and family of origin themes when those issues affect current life.

Dr. Willey aims to help people who feel stuck after a life change or who are questioning what comes next. She guides goal-focused work for career decisions, grieving losses, and exploring a sense of life purpose. Sessions are conducted in English and delivered from her Missouri practice.

How evidence-based approaches translate to online sessions

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on clarifying values and taking committed steps toward them while learning to accept difficult thoughts and feelings. It can help when a life change leaves someone unsure what matters next. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) identifies unhelpful thought patterns and tests new behaviors to reduce symptoms like anxiety and depression. It is often used for mood and stress-related problems.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will review goals, needs, and preferences and recommend a mix of ACT, CBT, DBT skills, or motivational interviewing techniques as appropriate. That choice is made collaboratively and can shift as progress is monitored.

The original profile does not list specific session formats, so confirm which options are available before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy day by removing travel time and allowing workday check-ins or evening appointments. They also let people use shorter sessions for focused skills practice or longer sessions for deeper conversations depending on what fits their schedule and goals.