Sarah is a firm believer in the healing power of wilderness therapy and is passionate about supporting families during this stage of treatment.  She understands that the transition to wilderness can be a time of high anxiety and a wide range of emotions for families, and loves to provide an additional layer of support for parents as they navigate their way through the process and work toward creating the relationship they want with their child.  By partnering with parents, she helps generate creative solutions that are meaningful to them, solutions that are rooted in their personal values and based on the realities of their individual situation.  

Education &
Prior Work Experience

Sarah holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Linfield College. She is a credentialed Parent Coach through the International Coach Federation, as well as a trained mediator. She has undergone advanced training in positive psychology coaching, parent coaching, family systems and addiction treatment.  

Sarah has coached hundreds of parents as they transition their children into or out of therapeutic placements. She began her career providing in-home support services for underserved families in rural communities.  Sarah was introduced to the field of outdoor behavioral health in the early nineties and found her passion.  She spent twenty years working in a therapeutic wilderness program providing support for families and adolescents.  She founded and directed a home-based transitional program for wilderness therapy graduates, and was instrumental in developing an adventure-based therapeutic boarding school.  She worked closely with Indian Health Services to increase access to wilderness therapy for Native American adolescents. When she was introduced to the field of parent coaching, she jumped at the opportunity to support parents throughout their child’s treatment experience.  

 As an instructor at Parent Coach Trainers Academy she trainothers to be parent coaches.

Interests

Sarah was raised on the Oregon Coast and returns to the beach as often as possible to adventure with her family. Her greatest joy is being a parent and she is constantly learning from her sons. She enjoys camping and traveling with friends and family.  When time allows for a quiet moment, she enjoys tucking into a good book.