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Kids aren’t broken — and parents aren’t failing
I'm a counselor in training working with children, teens, and families navigating overwhelm, big emotions, and disconnection. Get Connected
Sarah Potter
Counselor in Training
Currently seeking practicum/internship for summer 2026 – spring 2027. Passionate about inclusive, affirming care.
I work with children, teens, and families
when things feel like a lot—
big emotions, overwhelm, transitions,
or moments when connection feels hard to reach.
My approach is relational, attuned, and human.
I believe behavior is meaningful communication.
And that people do best
when they feel safe, respected,
and truly understood.
Sarah Potter
Counselor in Training
Non-binary human, They/She
Currently seeking practicum/internship for summer 2026 – spring 2027. Passionate about inclusive, affirming care.
Who I Work With
For kiddos
If your child is having a hard time, it can feel confusing, overwhelming—and sometimes really lonely.
But your child is not the problem.
I see children as expressive, intuitive, and full of information about what they need—even when it comes out as big feelings, shutdowns, or behaviors that don’t quite make sense yet.
In our work, we slow things down and get curious together. We look underneath the surface, make sense of what’s going on, and help your child feel more confident in their own body, emotions, and voice.
There is room here for play, creativity, and moments of joy—not just “working on problems.”
I support your child in feeling more understood, and I support you in building rhythms and responses that feel more connected and actually doable in real life.
This isn’t about control or quick fixes.
It’s about helping your child feel safe enough to be fully themselves—and watching what becomes possible from there.
For TEENS
No, this is not a trap.
And no, I’m not here to “fix” you.
If you’re here, something in your life is probably giving ✨too much✨— anxiety, school, family stuff, feelings that won’t chill, or just existing in the world right now.
You don’t need a dramatic reason to be here. “I’m tired” counts.
Therapy with me is not:
- getting lectured
- being told to “just think positive”
- being forced to talk before you’re ready
What it is:
- a low-pressure space where you can be real
- going at your pace (talking or not talking—both are okay)
- figuring out why your feelings actually make sense
- learning how to feel a little less overwhelmed
I work with a lot of teens who are anxious, burnt out, neurodivergent, sensitive, or carrying more than people realize.
Some feel like they’re “too much.”
Some feel like they’re never enough.
(Spoiler: neither is true.)
You don’t have to have the right words.
You don’t have to know what’s “wrong.”
You don’t have to open up all at once.
We’ll figure things out together—calmly, honestly, and without pretending you’re fine when you’re not.
For parents & caregivers
Parenting—especially when things feel hard—can be exhausting, confusing, and full of pressure to somehow “get it right.”
If you’ve ever thought, why isn’t this working? or am I messing this up?—you’re not alone.
…And you are not the problem.
In our work, I see you as an essential part of the process—not someone to blame, but someone to support. We slow things down and look at what’s actually happening underneath the surface: patterns, environments, nervous system needs—not just behaviors.
Together, we figure out what’s getting in the way of connection—and build ways of responding that feel more doable, more sustainable, and actually fit your real life.
I don’t do quick fixes, pressure, or compliance-based approaches.
I focus on understanding, repair, and helping you feel more grounded in your role—without shame.
You don’t have to be perfect here. Just willing.
And when parents and caregivers feel supported instead of judged, things don’t just change for the child—the whole system starts to soften, shift, and open up in new ways.
For families
When something feels off in a family, it’s almost never just one person.
It can look like tension, shutdown, conflict, big reactions, quiet disconnection—or that feeling where everyone is trying…but somehow still missing each other.
I see families as a whole system—full of relationships, patterns, personalities, and nervous systems all interacting in real time.
Which means we don’t zoom in on one “problem.”
We zoom out, get curious, and start to understand how everyone is affecting—and being affected by—each other.
There’s space here for all of it:
the loud parts, the quiet parts, the messy parts, the funny parts, the “wait…why do we always do this?” parts.
This isn’t about blame or picking sides.
It’s about helping everyone feel more understood, creating room for each person’s experience, and building new ways to connect, repair, and actually enjoy being in a relationship again.
We move at a pace that works for real life.
And when even small things start to shift—how someone responds, how someone feels seen—the whole family system can begin to feel lighter, softer, and a little more like home.
Therapy Isn’t
onesize fits all
What works for one client, does not work for the other. I work with a variety of therapy theories, interventions, and modalities. Here are a few of my favorites.
Nervous System-Informed, Regulation Based Work
Support stress responses through co-regulation and sensory strategies.
Intersectional, Social Justice Framework
Considers identity, power, culture, and caregiving inequities within a decolonial framework.
Play-Based, Expressive Work
Uses play, creativity, and symbolic expression with early bloomers, late bloomers, and everyone in between.
Relational, Attuned Therapy
Attuned, regulated presence with collaborative, validating dialogue.
Attachment Theory
Centers connection, co-regulation, attachment needs, and repair.
Neurodivergent-Affirming
Affirms neurodiversity, autonomy, and rejects compliance-based models
Learn more on how all this integrates.
What it’s like
We build safety first.
Because nothing meaningful happens without it.
We look at patterns.
Not just behaviors.
We include parents & caregivers.
Without blame.
We move at a pace
that actually supports change.
This is a space where kids aren’t treated like problems, teens aren’t talked down to, and parents aren’t blamed.
But there are ways
that feel more supportive,
more connected,
and more possible.
Let’s find what works for you.
Connect with me and let’s dig in together.
CONTACT
info@sarahapotter.com
Gilbert, Arizona
www.sarahapotter.com
Professionally insured through the American Counseling Association
MEMBERSHIPS & CERTIFICATIONS