Sara Watts LCPC, LMHC, C.C.C., CADC
My private practice offers individualized psychotherapy services to individuals struggling with Mood or Anxiety Disorders, Eating Disorders, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Substance Use Disorders, or co-occurring Trauma Disorders. Some co-occurring presenting concerns may be stemming from family system dysfunction or stressors, relationship issues, identity exploration, grief and loss, or life stage transitions. I primarily utilize evidence-based modalities, including CBT, ACT, DBT, and ERP, while also holding space for supplemental approaches derived from psychodynamic and attachment theories, if indicated by my client’s presenting needs.
About Sara Watts
Welcome to my Private Practice. I live on the north side of Chicago and attained both my business degree and clinical masters degree in Chicagoland. I am licensed in Illinois, New York, and Canada. My office is located a short walk from Northwestern University in downtown Evanston, IL.
I hold the following clinical credentials:
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) - IL
Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor (CADC) - IL
Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) - NY
Canadian Certified Counselor (C.C.C.) - Canada
BTTI-Certified practitioner (an intensive training program in the treatment of OCD and related disorders completed with the Behavior Therapy Training Institute)
I formerly served as a board member for the Heartland Chapter of the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals and for the Chicago Chapter of the Womxn’s Association for Addiction Treatment.
I am a current professional member of the International OCD Foundation (iocdf.org) and The International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals Foundation (iaedpfoundation.com).
Therapeutic
Mission
My primary goal in the therapist role is to best support your identified goals, and ultimately to shift and expand your relationship with painful symptoms that are creating unnecessary struggle and suffering in your brain, work, life, or relationships.
Collaboration
I am not only collaborative with my clients, but also with a wide network of team-oriented professionals who provide integral and distinctive adjunctive services that can exponentially increase positive treatment outcomes. I prioritize an integrative treatment team as a part of my treatment approach.
Diversity & Equity Inclusion Prioritization
I maintain a special interest and wealth of experience in providing diversity-inclusive treatment, welcoming all individuals across the span of race, ethnicity, gender, body size, neurodivergence, ability, sexual orientation, and faith orientation.
Therapeutic Specializations
Eating
Disorders
Learn more about my approach to treating Eating Disorders →
Substance
Use Disorders
Learn more about my approach to treating Substance Use Disorders →
OCD &
Anxiety Disorders
Learn more about my approach to treating OCD & Anxiety Disorders →
Co-Occurring
Disorders
Learn more about my approach to treating Co-Occurring Disorders→
Specialized Therapy for Special Interest Populations
During the course of my 15 years working in the field of mental health, I have also developed therapeutic specializations in working with more dedicated sub-sets of populations that cross diagnostic boundaries.
These include:
Therapeutic Treatment Approaches
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the most researched therapeutic intervention. CBT primarily targets the inter-connected relationship between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a highly researched and efficacious therapy approach. ACT is based upon a premise that difficult thoughts and feelings are unavoidable.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy is an empirically supported and helpful therapeutic intervention for most clinical presentations.
ERP is the gold standard in the treatment of OCD, but is highly valuable in treating several other diagnoses including Social Anxiety disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Phobias, and Eating disorders.
A Health At Every Size approach is an anti-diet approach championing holistic well-being for people living in any and all body sizes.
To My Potential Clients
It can be daunting to reach out for support, especially to someone you’ve never met. And, it is also an opportunity: to be seen, heard, and known for who you truly are, without the interference of predisposed biases, judgments, or assumptions.
Please read my note to potential clients via the link below →
Would it help to have a free 15 minute consultation?
I offer a 15 minute complimentary consultation to address general needs and interests of yours and also to determine if I am the most appropriate therapist partner for you.
I am highly collaborative with other providers of care and will be happy to provide referrals for you, if there is a more appropriate fit or path for your therapeutic needs.
I am pleased to help you in identifying your best next steps, whether within or outside of my therapeutic practice.