Meet Sarah Ford | Licensed Professional Counselor & Private Practice Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sarah Ford and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sarah, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
I think there are a number of misconceptions people have about mental health counseling. One that immediately comes to mind is the idea some people hold that if you’ve seen one counselor and it wasn’t helpful for you, then counseling won’t benefit you. I wish more people knew this isn’t true.

What some people don’t realize is that it’s normal for it to take a little while to find a counselor who is a good fit for you. Not every counselor is the same. Just as with anyone, counselors have varying temperaments, personalities, styles, training, and approaches. Not every approach will be effective for you. Just because other people have had desired outcomes with a certain approach to counseling, doesn’t mean you will.

This might feel discouraging, especially if people are labeling a certain style of therapy as “the best.” It is helpful to remember that there are so many different kinds of counselors and approaches to therapy because there are so many different people in the world. You don’t have to be hard on yourself if an approach doesn’t work for you. Take hope in the many options you have and don’t let fear prevent you from trying a different counselor or approach to therapy.

The most important factor of effective therapy is the quality of the therapeutic relationship. So if you find that you don’t feel comfortable talking with your counselor after a couple of sessions, it may be an indication that it’s time to try a different counselor.

When you choose to go to counseling, it’s helpful to remember that this work is about what you want for your life. You don’t need to be concerned about ending work with one counselor to find another who could be a better fit for the work you want to do. It takes courage to try another counselor after a less than desirable experience – but it can be so worth it to try again.

What should our readers know about your business?
I own a tele-health mental health counseling private practice and work with clients located throughout Ohio. I have the privilege of working with adults who are looking for support managing anxiety, depressed mood, and who are having difficulty adjusting to changes in their lives. I specialize in helping clients who are looking for support in recovering from religious trauma and perfectionism and am passionate about coming alongside my clients as they courageously do this inner work.

I’m honored to work with each of my clients and I consider it a privilege to walk with them through some of the hardest experiences of their lives. I value creating a safe space where my clients are empowered to show up as their fully authentic selves, feel supported to engage their healing journey, and are able to confidently celebrate themselves and their growth when our work together is done.

With previous experience working as a mental health counselor for young children in the local public schools, I’m excited to now be working with parents who want to prioritize their own mental health in pursuing counseling for themselves. I am excited to help my clients prioritize their own self-care as they create healthy relational dynamics that will positively impact their family for generations to come.

With this focus in mind, I’ll be guiding parent-child workshops this spring at Healthy Heart-Healthy Pleasures, a health food store in Alliance, Ohio and at Haven Shala, a yoga studio in Bolivar, Ohio. These are creative workshops where parents and their kids will make art together. Throughout the workshop, I will be creating opportunities for parents and their kids to build deeper connections with each other as they bond in a relaxed, fun, and playful setting.

The journey to getting to where I am today business-wise included years of post-secondary education, internships, years of experience in private practice and community-based mental health settings, and the prioritization of my own mental health journey. My journey has had it’s challenges and one of the main things that has helped me overcome difficult seasons has been engaging my support system. Allowing myself to lean into my relationships and show up with authenticity during times of experiencing vulnerability has been what has given me the support I’ve needed to overcome challenges. One of the big take aways I’ve learned along the way is that for me to live my life in a way that is satisfying, I need to build and honor my self-awareness to pursue a holistically healthy life and meaningful relationships. Some of the areas of building self-awareness that have been deeply impactful for me include identifying my strengths and weaknesses (and leaning into my strengths), getting clear on my personal values and boundaries, and cultivating a curiosity of what lights me up with a creative spark.

If I were to pick one thing I wanted the world to know about me or my brand, it’s that there’s deep, meaningful, life-changing healing that can happen when you face yourself with compassion, curiosity, and connection. And that to integrate this healing in a deeply-rooted way, requires engaging, building, and nurturing healthy relationships with others. Part of the amazing work I get to experience as a counselor, is having the opportunity to help some people experience what health in a relationship can look like for the first time through the therapeutic relationship we build together in therapy. I find this to be deeply meaningful work. And those moments where my clients start engaging healthier relationships with the people who mean the most to them in their daily lives are some of the most exciting moments in the work we do together.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
One of the things I love about where we live is how close we are to so many neat areas in northeast Ohio. It’s hard to narrow down my list so I’ve categorized my itinerary based on five locations with tailored recommendations.

Location One – Downtown Canton:
Where to Eat: Fronimo’s Downtown never disappoints with a cozy setting and delicious eats.
Entertainment: Canton Palace Theater is home to some of our favorite events including the Twilight Zone marathon and the Alfred Hitchcock back-to-back features.
Something to See: The Centennial Plaza is full of energy and excitement on First Fridays.

Location Two – Akron:
Where to Eat: Luigi’s Restaurant has been open since 1949 and has a cozy setting with tasty pizza. There’s usually a line out the door, so you know it’s an experience to be had at least once.
Entertainment: BLU Jazz + is a casual jazz club with moody vibes.
Something to See: Don Dumm Studios & Gallery has been one of my favorite places to visit since childhood. The selection of artwork and sculptures is whimsical and so fun!

Location Three – Peninsula:
Where to Eat: Peninsula Coffeehouse and Wine Cellar has a coffee shop on the main floor and a wine cellar below. There is a two-level outdoor patio that overlooks the Cuyahoga River.
Entertainment: Bike/Hike Aboard with the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. You can bike or hike the towpath trail and flag down the train at one of many stations along the way. This is one of my favorite ways to experience the towpath in the Cuyahoga Valley!
Something to See: Brandywine Falls is a lovely waterfall. You can walk directly to the waterfall from a boardwalk within walking distance of the parking lot or you can enjoy the view of the waterfall following a hike on the trail.

Location Four – Cleveland/East Side:
Where to Eat: L’Albatros is a French restaurant with delightful food and an enchanting atmosphere.
Entertainment: Watch the Cleveland Orchestra perform at Severance Music Center.
Things to See: At University Circle you are within walking distance of the renowned Cleveland Museum of Art, the Cleveland Botanical Garden, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland, and the Cleveland History Center where you can ride the Euclid Beach Park Grand Carousel.

Location Five – Cleveland/West Side:
Where to Eat: All Saints Public House has amazing food and one of my favorite outdoor patios shaded with mature trees.
Entertainment: Happy Dog is an eclectic music venue with unique hot dog offerings.
Things to See: West Side Market is a Cleveland landmark with an indoor and outdoor market with over 100 vendors.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First, I am so grateful for the support of my family. My husband and our two kids have been the encouraging, supportive cheerleaders I needed with the launching of my business last fall. I’ve also been very fortunate to have parents who have believed in me and supported all forms of my entrepreneurial dreams throughout my life.

But to narrow it down to one person to highlight who has inspired me to take the leap and launch my business, it’s my long-time friend, Kailee Lenczycki.

Kailee and I have been a part of each other’s lives since high school and we’ve shown up for each other with love and support through the many seasons of life that have since unfolded. We’re both moms of young children and we have a shared professional background of working in the mental health field, so we still have a lot to connect over beyond our shared experiences from our teen years.

Kailee was the key person who helped create the spark of curiosity and confidence that I could start my own private practice. Despite our now long-distance friendship, we are able to stay connected through phone dates. She didn’t realize it at the time, but during one of our chats back in 2022 we were discussing life dreams and aspirations when she very casually yet assuredly asserted that I could start my own private practice.

Her belief in me and my abilities as a counselor and potential future business owner was just what I needed to hear to get me to start exploring what it might look like to start my own business. There’s something powerful about accepting the belief trusted companions have in you and allowing that belief to take root to nurture your own potential.

Now, I have the privilege of cheering Kailee on as she pursues entrepreneurship and launches her own private practice this year. Kailee is a dedicated, empathetic provider with a passion for holistic wellness. She has years of experience caring for her patients as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner and holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). I’m so proud of my friend and am excited to see this next season of her career dreams bloom.

Website: www.sarahfordcounseling.com

Instagram: @sarahfordcounseling

Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/sarah-ford-46a939180

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Image Credits
Marta Eelen