Sarah Larsen-Astrones, LCPC, LIMHP

Sarah Larsen-Astrones is a licensed counselor who brings 13 years of experience to her work. She holds an LCPC credential and a Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner credential, and she practices out of Maryland. She describes therapy as a place to speak honestly and be heard without judgment.

Sarah focuses on stress and anxiety, self-esteem, motivation, and coping with life changes. She also helps people who struggle with concentration, memory, and focus related to neurodivergence. Midlife questions and transitions are listed among the issues she addresses, alongside concerns such as panic attacks, social anxiety, and financial stress.

Her background includes teaching at colleges and universities and supervising counseling interns. That experience informs a practical approach to sessions. Conversations often balance emotional support with skills people can use between meetings.

In sessions she aims to create an open and nonjudgmental space for talking through worries, decisions, and setbacks. She works with clients to identify small steps that build confidence and improve daily functioning. Forgiveness, attachment concerns, and relationship communication are common topics that come up in her work.

Sarah encourages people to take the first step toward change and offers steady support during that process. If you are weighing a life change or feeling stuck, she helps you clarify priorities and develop realistic next steps.

How evidence-based approaches translate to online work

Many evidence-based therapeutic techniques focus on helping people change unhelpful thinking and build practical skills. For example, cognitive techniques look at thoughts that fuel anxiety and teach ways to reframe or test those thoughts so panic and worry reduce over time. Behavioral strategies focus on small, practical steps such as graded exposure for social anxiety or routines to improve focus and daily functioning.

Another common approach emphasizes problem-solving and skill building to manage life transitions and midlife concerns. This style helps people set priorities, break large decisions into manageable steps, and practice new ways of communicating. These methods are useful for work on motivation, self-esteem, and coping with major life changes.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the therapeutic process. The therapist works collaboratively with each person to decide which techniques fit their goals, needs, and preferences. That collaborative planning helps tailor sessions so they feel relevant and achievable.

If you are considering online therapy, confirm the session formats offered before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and remove travel time. Talk with the therapist about what will work best for scheduling and for practical needs such as camera use or shorter phone check-ins.