Sarah Cheney, MSW
Sarah
Cheney
–Psychotherapist
There’s a new way to do therapy – it's smart, creative, compassionate, and effective
About
I’m a licensed clinical social worker providing therapy and counseling to people throughout Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. I can help you get closer to what you want in life and reduce the struggle with what you don’t want. I specialize in:
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Anxiety, stress, burnout
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Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
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Trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
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Chronic pain
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Eating disorders
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Grief and loss
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I’m dedicated to mental health care based on science and advanced psychological interventions. I have over ten years of experience and training in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), which is an incredibly honest, hopeful, and non-judgmental approach to mental and physical health and overall wellbeing.
–“Practicing ACT with Sarah has been life changing. I struggled with anxiety for years, then Sarah's approach opened my eyes to anxiety–we can’t eliminate it, but we can learn to stop battling it."
Approach
I design personalized therapy spaces where people feel safe and yet willing to try bold moves in order to learn and grow. Parts of my sessions feel very serious and focused, others are heart-centered and loving, and then other parts feel light and humorous.
I'm an ACT therapist and practice acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), which reduces struggle with unhelpful and unwanted internal experiences. ACT also helps people identify deeply held personal values and take purposeful, thoughtful steps toward those values.
Our work together can help you
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Increase flexibility and resiliency
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Cultivate self-awareness and self-compassion
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Nurture close and loving relationships
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Plan for the future guided by personal values
–"When I felt unable to cope with daily life, my doctor referred me to Sarah. Her compassion and empathy helped me recognize and refocus thoughts and feelings that overwhelmed me. I'm so grateful for her."
Services
Personalized & welcoming therapy
The benefits of being a client in my private practice include:
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First appointment typically within a week
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Personalized, longer sessions
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Between session support
- Flexible scheduling
- Focused, short-term therapy available
I provide psychotherapy for adults, adolescents, young adults, and older adults. I especially enjoy working with college students and people who work in academia, science, engineering, and technology fields, and with parents and their teens.
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I am committed to offering affirming, responsive, and safe therapy that acknowledges and respects all aspects of an individual–gender, religion, ethnicity, physical ability, and sexuality. Also, I’m an experienced ally to LGBTQ+ clients.
Fees
60 – 75-minute sessions / $120 per session
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I’m a private-pay therapist. I can offer detailed invoices for you to submit to your insurance for possible reimbursement. If you are unable to afford my full rate, please contact me about the limited number of spots I reserve to make high-quality mental health care more accessible.
–“We appreciated Sarah's wise, kind guidance. Our son would not be where he is today without her approach. She has given us the gift of seeing joy and light in our son again.”
Expertise
Highly trained in evidenced-based therapies
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Acceptance & commitment therapy (ACT)
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Exposure & response prevention (ERP)
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Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
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Prolonged grief therapy (PGT)
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Maudsley family-based treatment (FBT)
Advanced psychology training
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Ongoing consultation with expert behavioral psychologists
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Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS) World Conferences
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Advanced grief therapy, Columbia University
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Education
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Columbia University: MS, Advanced Clinical Social Work
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Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute: MS, Communication & Rhetoric
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Western Michigan University: BA, Cultural Anthropology & English
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Professional affiliations
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Volunteer: ACBS Social Work Special Interest Group
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Member: International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)
–“Sarah helped me immensely during a tough period in my life. Her self-compassion techniques, scientific insights, and empathy fostered a healing space for me."
Doing what matters
I am passionate about providing cutting-edge therapy that is driven by research and grounded in positive psychology. Values-guided action is foundational to my practice, my community service, and my mission to offer high-quality mental health care.
I have three decades of experience in nonprofits, social advocacy, and community building, including sixteen years as founder and co-director of the Pewabic Street Community Garden in Houghton, Michigan.
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I live in a small, historic town with a big engineering university in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan with my husband and our goofy dog. We like to ski, sail, garden, and hike–especially with our daughter when she comes home from grad school. We are grateful to be grounded in family, friends, and nature.
–“Sarah gracefully guided me through past experiences to help with my healing. Her truth-filled approach and compassion were incredibly helpful."
Contact
Invest in your growth
Yes, it can be difficult to find the right therapist. I do my best to make this first step as easy as possible by offering a no cost, 30-minute consultation via phone or video. Let’s have a conversation of possibilities.
Sarah Cheney, LMSW-C
Michigan License 6801114519
Minnesota License 32587
Wisconsin License 11409-123
–“The parts of ourselves that need compassion the most are the parts that we are most likely to despise or turn away from. Our angry self, anxious self, and ashamed self all need our compassion in order for us to transform our lives.”
-Dennis Tirch, PhD