My name is Sara Standring and I am a Resident in Counseling. I am a Clinical Assistant at Beach Therapy & Consulting, which I joined at the beginning of 2023 as a member of the residency program. I have completed my Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and have passed the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) for licensing. I am currently engaged in training, supervision, and gaining experience in an outpatient practice utilizing evidenced based treatment with patients. 

Much like a recipe, counseling calls for multiple components to come together creating the desired outcome. A balance between science and personality provides nourishment to body and soul. After switching careers from the culinary industry to join the counseling field, I recognize that change can be hard and at times feel overwhelming. After many years of cooking and baking professionally for others, through a sense of passion and pride to fill empty bellies; I refined my passion to nourish the body through mental health and I pride myself on being a part of each client’s recipe for health and wellness. I work hard to collaborate with all of my patients, while using humor in therapy and offering honesty and my genuine self to the relationship. I look forward to the privilege of working with and meeting the needs of each individual client in processing and managing challenging emotions and life transitions.

I have training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) , Motivational Interviewing, and Harm Reduction with substance abuse. I am currently completing my educational requirements to become a CSAC. I am a member of the Dialectical Behavior Therapy team as I complete my training certificate through the Linehan Institute at Behavioral Tech. I also provide couples counseling utilizing a Gottman approach and currently am a Gottman Level 2 clinician. 

I have previous experience in hospital settings, group work, substance related dependency, grief and loss, couples and individual counseling. I am the co-facilitator of the DBT Adapted Skills for Substance Abuse recovery group.  I treat a wide array of issues including anxiety, depression and other mood disorders, marital or couple’s distresses, substance related struggles, anger management, emotional dysregulation, and PTSD.

• Adults and Adolescents (ages 14 and up) 
• Anxiety including phobia, panic, and generalized anxiety
• Mood disorders including depression and bi polar with or without addictive behaviors
• Grief and loss
• Non-suicidal self-harming behaviors
• Emotional dysregulation
•  Substance Use and Addictive Behaviors
• Marital concerns and couples issues including communication and infidelity 
• Trauma and Stressor challenges 
• Life transitions including military and military affiliated patients

B.A. Psychology, Fort Hays State University
M.A. Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Liberty University
Resident in Counseling, 2022