Sarah Collinsworth, LPCC-S | Online EMDR Trauma and Anxiety Therapist in Ohio and Minnesota
I know what it's like to need someone in your corner who actually gets it. That's exactly why I do this work.
It’s time to release what’s been holding you back so you can move forward with clarity.
My Story
I didn't start out as a therapist. I started out trying to prove something.
I spent years in the corporate world, collected degrees along the way, and kept going because somewhere I had decided that achievement was the answer. That if I just did enough, earned enough, became enough, I would finally feel like somebody.
I know what it feels like to wrap your identity in what you do. To people please your way through relationships. To keep every ball in the air while slowly losing track of who you actually are underneath all of it. I've sat with burnout that didn't show on the outside. I've had to learn, slowly and imperfectly, how to rest without guilt, how to stop performing, and how to listen to myself again.
Therapy was part of that. So was learning to meditate, to breathe intentionally, to spend time in nature, and to pay attention to the quiet things I had been too busy to hear.
That's what shaped how I work now. I show up honestly, and I make space for you to do the same.
Several years ago a friend and I got in a car with no real plans and drove up through Canada, back into the United States by way of Maine.
We stopped at a lighthouse on the coast. Each of us found a quiet spot and just sat for a while. And in that stillness, something settled in me. I looked at that lighthouse and I knew, not logically but in the way you know things when you finally stop moving long enough to listen, that it was time to open my own practice. That this work, done my way, on my own terms, was exactly where I was supposed to be.
I've loved lighthouses since I was a little girl. There's something about what they represent, a steady light, a fixed point, guidance through fog and uncertainty, that has always moved me. I didn't fully understand why until that afternoon in Maine.
That moment is why my practice is called Lighthouse Counseling and Wellness. And it's why I show up the way I do, as a steady presence, not someone who has all the answers, but someone who can help you find your own.
How I Work
I'm not going to narrate our sessions in overly clinical language or ask you to perform your healing for me. That's not how I talk and it's probably not how you talk either.
What I will do is show up honestly, ask direct questions, and create a space where you don't have to manage my feelings or worry about whether you're doing this right. Think less formal therapy office, more honest conversation on a comfortable couch, with real tools and real work underneath it.
I use EMDR because I've seen it reach places that years of talking couldn't. I weave in mindfulness and breathwork not as buzzwords but because I have a personal daily practice and I know firsthand what it feels like when you actually learn to come back to yourself. I bring a trauma-informed lens to everything because I understand that what shows up in the present is almost always connected to something older.
My work is grounded in the belief that you are not broken. You are a whole person who has been through things, and healing isn't about fixing. It's about reconnecting with the parts of yourself you've had to set aside just to keep everything running.
What You Can Expect From Me
Safety
Creating a judgment-free environment where every part of you is welcome.
Honesty
Showing up with transparency, directness, and genuine care.
Respect
Honoring your unique story, beliefs, and experiences.
Empowerment
Helping you recognize your strengths and trust your own inner wisdom.
Growth
Supporting you through the messy, beautiful, non-linear process of change.
Connection
Building a therapeutic relationship that fosters trust, healing, and self-discovery.
Background & Training
My path to this work spans more than 20 years and more than one career. I've worked in research, correctional institutions, community mental health, and clinical leadership, which means I've sat with people in some of the hardest circumstances imaginable and learned that healing really is possible, even when it doesn't feel that way.
I hold a Bachelor's in Psychology, an MBA, and completed two graduate programs in counseling, one focused on clinical mental health and one on substance use disorders. I'm a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor Supervisor (LPCC-S) and Licensed Independent Chemical Dependency Counselor Clinical Supervisor (LICDC-CS) in Ohio.
Who I Work With
I work with adults in Ohio navigating trauma, PTSD, complex trauma, anxiety, depression, and the life transitions that leave you feeling lost or exhausted. More than any diagnosis, I see you as a whole person doing your best to move forward. My job is to help you find your way back to yourself, even when you're not sure what that looks like yet. All sessions are virtual, so you can connect from anywhere in Ohio.
Professional Trainings & Certifications
EMDR Therapy, Levels I & II (EMDRIA-approved via HAP)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Certified Mindfulness-Informed Professional
Trauma-Informed Breathwork Training
35 hour Meditation Teacher Training
VA Community Care Provider
I also have training in parts work, IFS, somatic approaches, and a range of other evidence-based modalities. I don't believe any single approach works for every person and I don't work like one does.
Nature Is Where I Come Back to Myself
I didn't fully understand the power of being outside until later in life. Now I can't imagine living without it.
Hiking, mountain views, quiet mornings with coffee, road trips with no real itinerary. These are the things that ground me. Nature has a way of putting things back in perspective that nothing else quite does. It's where I go when I need to remember what stillness actually feels like.
I bring that same quality into my work, a calm and grounded presence, and a deep belief that slowing down is not the same as falling behind.
If something here resonated with you, that's worth paying attention to.
You don't need to have it figured out before you reach out. You just need to be willing to show up honestly. I'll take it from there.