Dr. Sara Lewis-Stankus, LPC, LMHC

Dr. Sara Lewis-Stankus is a licensed professional counselor with 26 years of experience helping people navigate big life transitions and stress. She offers a calm, nonjudgmental presence for people feeling stuck by anxiety, career strain, or low self-esteem. Her style is straightforward and encouraging, aimed at practical changes rather than labels.

She centers sessions on what matters most to each person. Conversations often uncover patterns that cause repeated problems, such as control issues, attachment worries, or difficulty forgiving oneself. She works with clients to set clear goals and build step-by-step plans to reach them.

Tools come from several approaches depending on the need. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps identify and shift unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. Dialectical Behavior Therapy adds skills for managing intense emotions and improving relationships. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing can be used when past events keep causing distress.

Sara also draws on client-centered principles, which means she follows each person’s pace and priorities. She addresses a wide range of concerns including abandonment, caregiver stress, chronic illness, body image, and communication problems. She also supports people through divorce, grief, and isolation.

Clients can expect collaborative work that combines realistic strategies with self-reflection. Sessions focus on actions people can try between meetings and on building confidence to make long-term changes. She practices in West Virginia and speaks English.

How these approaches translate to online therapy

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on following each person's priorities and pacing the work according to what they bring to sessions. Online sessions can keep that focus by letting conversations center on current concerns and personal goals. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps people spot unhelpful thoughts and test new behaviors; online meetings can include worksheets, homework tasks, and brief between-session check-ins to practice skills. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) teaches concrete skills for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and better communication, which can be taught and practiced in remote sessions through guided exercises and role play.

Choosing the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will collaborate with each person to decide which methods match their needs, goals, and preferences. That choice can shift over time as progress is made and new challenges emerge.

Session formats are not listed in the biography, so confirm current options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit meetings into a busy life, reduce travel time, and allow for shorter check-ins when needed. It also lets people use written tools, screen-sharing, and structured homework to keep momentum between sessions.