Sarah Chavez, LMFT

People often come to therapy feeling tired. Tired of trying to manage pain or anxiety. Tired of questioning themselves. Tired of wondering why something feels so hard when, on paper, they’re “doing fine.” For some, there’s also a quiet sense of urgency—an understandable feeling of needing relief now. Chronic pain and ongoing distress can make everything feel more pressing, more consuming, as if the nervous system is constantly scanning for a way out. You are thoughtful, capable, and deeply human. My sense is that you may have spent a long time pushing through—showing up for work, relationships, and responsibilities—while quietly carrying discomfort, fear, or uncertainty inside. Therapy with me starts by slowing things down. I don’t believe you’re broken. I believe your system has been doing its best to protect you, even if the ways it’s learned to do that are no longer helping. Together, we make space to listen more closely to what your mind and body are communicating, without judgment or pressure to change anything right away. My approach is relational, collaborative, and grounded in compassion. You won’t be analyzed, fixed, or rushed. We’ll move at a pace that feels respectful of your nervous system, with room for curiosity, honesty, humor, and whatever emotions arise. You don’t need to have things figured out to begin. I specialize in working with individuals experiencing neuroplastic chronic pain and other mind–body symptoms, and I am certified in Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT). This work is informed by neuroscience and helps many people understand how real pain and symptoms can persist even when the body is structurally safe. You don’t need to be fully convinced by any particular model—skepticism and questions are welcome here. In addition to chronic pain, I work with people navigating anxiety, trauma, shame or self-blame, relationship challenges, and big life or existential questions. I’m comfortable sitting with uncertainty and complexity, and I care deeply about helping people feel less alone in their inner experience. When you sit with me, my hope is that you feel met—without pressure to perform, explain, or be anyone other than who you are in that moment. Over time, therapy becomes a place to build a more trusting, compassionate relationship with yourself.