Dr. Sara Nash, PhD., LMHC, Qualified Supervisor

At a Glance:

I’ve been a counselor in Gainesville, FL for 15 years. I've worked in private practice, at the UF Counseling and Wellness Center, and at the Alachua County Crisis Center. I've also taught graduate courses in the UF Counselor Education department and supervised many new counselors on their way to licensure. 

I specialize in trauma, depression, anxiety, relationships, crisis, grief, and personal growth.  I love working with thoughtful, motivated adults who are struggling with complex concerns.

Why did you become a therapist? 

When I started graduate school at 23, I mostly just wanted to heal myself. As I met teachers, mentors, and therapists who guided me towards my own healing, I also found my calling for counseling other people.

What can a client expect to experience in session with you? 

I have a warm, direct, trauma-informed, interpersonal approach to counseling. I like process-oriented conversations where we are curious and exploring, as opposed to structured techniques and predetermined solutions. 

I love forming longer relationships where I can know you over different phases of your life, and where we can pause and resume counseling as needed.  I will respectfully give you my honest professional opinion, always with the intention of benefiting you, and I welcome your feedback as well. 

How do you spend your free time? 

I used to have free time in which I enjoyed painting, but then I became a parent. Now, counseling feels like my free time.

What's your favorite quirk about yourself? 

I am a breast cancer survivor who no longer has breasts or (much) hair. While these losses were initially hard, it’s been liberating to step away from internalized social expectations of what a woman “should” look like and embrace myself the way I am.

How do you believe change happens?

I think change happens when we feel safe, understood, and supported enough to make new choices and take healthy risks.