MEET THE TEAM

Sara Klein, LMFT

I’m not a stereotypical therapist that is going to nod and ask you how that makes you feel. 

I work with individuals and families who deal with all types and kinds of concerns. I think about therapy as two people walking in the woods. It is dark and the darkness is real and often overwhelming. It is imperative for me to not only notice but to join clients in the darkness, so that the dark space is recognized for what it is and the impact it has.

As the therapist, I am initially illuminating this space for the client. I think of this as being in charge of a flashlight, which I hold until the person I am with is able. I shine a dim beam of light in the space until the shapes and contours of the pain start to appear. The brightness depends on how much the client can tolerate seeing at once.

As time goes on, my job becomes more about adjusting the flashlight so the space becomes incrementally brighter. The past becomes clearer, understood and digestible, if only for brief, erratic segments of time. Emotions become more readily distinguishable and we begin the journey of softly illuminating the space. The ultimate goal is for the person in therapy to take over holding the flashlight—perhaps temporarily at first, but with more confidence and self-direction as time passes.

I’m a completely imperfect human who has been trained to help other imperfect humans get to know themselves and their relationships better.

I talk casually during sessions. I’ll ask you about what’s been going on and how you’re experiencing it.  We'll talk about how your much-needed night out went last weekend, or how far you made it into that book you wanted to read.  I genuinely want to know how you’ve been doing.  I’m not afraid to talk about the hard or awkward stuff, and I’m also not afraid to let you know when you might be putting limits on yourself.

I’m not going to bore you with my credentials. If you are here it’s because you are probably suffering with a particular issue or relationship or maybe you just want to explore different parts of yourself. I think of therapy as education of the self…. so welcome. I love therapy! I love watching therapy and reading about therapy. I’ve always been drawn to connection and relationships based on honesty, trust and humor. I laugh A LOT and I hope we will do that in therapy too. I incorporate any and all types of therapies into my practice--as long as they are based on sound scientific evidence. Doing this work is my heart’s desire

Email: sara@mindfullivingtherapy-chicago.com