Sara Babbs, LICSW

Welcome! I’m Sara (she/her) a licensed independent clinical social worker, houseplant aficionado and mental health professional. I identify strongly with the values of the social work profession and am committed to life-long learning, critical self-reflection, and advancing social justice. My practice is grounded in mindfulness and radical acceptance and is informed by my background in developmental psychology. I strive to balance deeper, insight-oriented work with concrete skills and tools to support growth and meaningful change in the present.

My therapeutic approach is warm, rapport based, genuine and non-judgmental. I enjoy bringing levity and humor to this difficult work tend to follow my natural curiosity and intuition. The modalities I draw from in addition to mindfulness are dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), trauma-informed cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), and motivational interviewing (MI).

Areas of Interest:

  • Anxiety Disorders

  • Depressive Disorders

  • General Mood Disorders

  • Life Transitions

  • Parts work

  • Trauma & PTSD

  • Relational Conflict

  • Self Esteem & Compassion work

  • Family of Origin Work

  • Values and Identity Exploration

  • Polyvagal theory and Somatic Experiencing

Experience:

  • Fraser

  • People Serving People

  • CAPRW Head Start

  • AVIVO

  • Associated Clinic of Psychology

  • Fairview Riverside

  • University of St. Thomas

Education:

  • AS Child Development - Minneapolis Community College

  • BA Child & Adolescent Psychology - University of Minnesota

  • MSW Clinical Social Work - St. Catherine University

Populations Served:

  • Late Teens ages 16+

  • Adults ages 18+

  • Young adults ages 18-24

  • LGBTQIA+

  • SPMI

“Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary.”
— Fred Rogers

What’s it like working with Sara?

  • The majority of my clients are coming to me because of my experience with attachment and developmental psychology, my grounding in acceptance and mindfulness practices and my experience supporting folks better regulate their emotions and manage distress. Maybe you have been pushing for changes from a space of guilt, shame or judgment. Maybe you've lacked clarity around what steps you are ready or willing to take. Much of our work will be re-learning how to approach ourselves from a space of non-judgment and honesty. Together, we will foster insight and work towards realistic and compassionate goals.

  • Working from an attachment-based lens, I guide clients in exploring how early experiences shape emotions, relationships, and self-perception. By increasing this insight and awareness we are better able to understand ourselves and our journey. Using a dialectical approach, we will avoid black and white thinking and work to embrace the complexity and nuance of life. This insight-oriented work will be balanced with the development of concrete skills and tools to regulate emotions and manage distress.

  • I have a warm and relational style. When appropriate, I enjoy bringing levity and humor to this difficult work. I consider myself an active provider, which means I ask intentional questions, guide your insight, gently challenge if needed and help you make the connections that are needed. I often assign skills to practice or things to reflect on for the week. Folks who struggle with their emotions, folks who want to make sense of themselves and young adults are some of my favorite clients.