Credentials & Bio
Don’t let my casual, direct (sometimes sarcastic!) vibe fool you. I’ve done the work AND I have the clinical skills, tools and knowledge to help you do it, too. If I wanted to start tossing letters behind my name it would look like this:
Sarah Zeren, CPC, LSW, CAC II, ELI-MP
In real people speak this says Sarah Zeren is a:
- Certified Professional Coach
- Licensed Social Worker
- Certified Addictions Counselor (II)
- Energy Leadership Master Practitioner
I like these letters, worked hard for them and am very proud of them. However, I was raised to believe that they were what mattered, first and foremost. I no longer believe that. (Which is why they aren’t splayed across the top of my homepage).
I now believe what matters most is the combination of education + personal experience, coupled with the ability to connect with people precisely where they are in a non-biased, non judgmental way. This is paramount in clients feeling more supported and making strides that matter to them.
I do find that practitioners with higher educational backgrounds and clinical experience have an intensified understanding + respect for the importance of actualized outcomes, appropriate use of self in the personal development process, professional boundaries and for lack of a better term: they know when to say when. They know when they are outside of their scope, and when and how to refer out.
My Approach
Prior to becoming a Certified Professional Coach, I had the skill set to open up a private practice, but clinical practice as a therapist just didn’t fit for me.
I think the run of the mill therapist / client approach is stale + outdated.
And if I feel this way – how must clients feel?
Coaching for me is a co-created experience: more hands on, more relaxed and more effective than counseling alone. It’s done over the phone, giving myself + my clients more freedom and flexibility. And because there’s no commuting to an appointment, there’s a decreased time investment which is a win:win for everyone ’cause you know – we’re all SUPER BUSY. I say this in jest, but hey – it’s true!
The coaching approach can be more comprehensive and better supports the client in between sessions – where I’ve found more of the “aha moments” occur.
I’ll say this – I learned more about myself in 6 months of coaching than I have in countless years of therapy: how to be truly less judgmental of myself and others, how to quiet that inner critic, I developed a spiritual practice, and I now understand what radical self love and acceptance is.
I love the freedom that coaching provides me in really walking WITH my clients in their process more closely, bringing more of “me” to my work + providing a more personalized experience for my clients.
Utilizing reliable + effective, evidence-based practices and skill sets is a large part of what I bring to my work as a coach + counselor.
My tried and true favs:
- Core Energy Coaching
- CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)
- Solution Focused Therapy
- Somatics (Body Centered Therapy)
- REBT (Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy)
- Mindfulness
Areas of Experience + Expertise:
- Being Happily Unhappy
- Trauma
- Mental Health
- Substance abuse
- Abusive relationships: physical + emotional
- Self-acceptance
- Grief
- Divorce
- Dysfunctional Relationships
Ways to Work with Me
In addition to your not-at-all-run-of-the-mill coaching + counseling, here are 3 areas I specialize in. Click on each to learn more… what they mean, my experience with each, and how we work together so they don’t have to hold you back any longer.
Schedule Your Complimentary Coaching Call.
Let's start truth telling today & and creating a life that feels amazing — not just looks good on paper. I'm Ready!Sarah has helped my business, family, and especially me flourish. Through our time together, she helped open my eyes to what steps I needed to take to move both my personal and professional lives to the next level. Everyone should have a coach to help them gain a greater level of clarity and move beyond average and I am happy to say that Sarah is mine.
Phil P.
Just In Case You Missed it…
Watch this video to hear my story and learn how it’s impacted what I do today.