Sara Balkanli Watkins, LPC

About

Licensed Professional Counselor in Austin, TX. Works with Anxiety, Life Transitions and Trauma and PTSD. Sees clients in person and online. Works out of network for insurance. Accepting new clients.

Areas of expertise

• Anxiety
• Life Transitions
• Trauma and PTSD
• Coping Skills
• Depression
• Family Conflict
• Grief
• Peer Relationships
• Racial Identity
• Relationship Issues
• School Issues
• Self Esteem
• Stress Management

Types of therapy

• Attachment-basedLooks at early bonds with caregivers and how they shape relationships and emotions now, and works toward a greater sense of safety and connection.
• Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)A structured, practical therapy that looks at how thoughts, feelings and actions affect each other, and teaches skills for changing unhelpful thinking and habits.
• Compassion FocusedHelps people who are hard on themselves to build warmth and compassion toward themselves, as a counterweight to shame and self-criticism.
• Culturally SensitiveTakes a person's culture, identity, background and values into account, and shapes the work so it fits their life.
• EMDREye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. A structured trauma therapy in which a person recalls distressing memories while following side-to-side eye movements or taps.
• Family / MaritalTherapy with couples or families together, focused on communication, conflict and the patterns between people.
• FeministConsiders how gender, power and social context affect a person's life and well-being, and aims for an equal relationship between client and therapist.
• HumanisticA family of approaches, including person-centered and Gestalt therapy, that emphasize growth, self-awareness and a person's capacity to choose.
• InterpersonalA structured, time-limited therapy focused on relationships and life events, such as conflict, loss or big role changes, and how they affect mood.
• MulticulturalRecognizes how culture, race, ethnicity and other identities shape experience, and makes them part of the work.
• NarrativeHelps people separate themselves from their problems and retell the stories they hold about their lives in ways that feel truer and more helpful.
• Person-CenteredA warm, non-directive approach: the therapist listens with empathy and without judgment, and trusts the person to find their own direction.
• RelationalSees relationships as central to well-being. The relationship with the therapist is used to understand and change patterns in other relationships.
• Strength-BasedFocuses on the strengths, skills and resources a person already has, and builds on them to meet challenges.
• Trauma FocusedTherapy for people affected by trauma. Puts safety and pacing first, and helps process painful memories so they have less hold on daily life.

More details

Sessions

Both in-person and online

Accepting new clients

Yes

Specialties

Anxiety, Life Transitions, Trauma and PTSD, ADHD, Body Image, Codependency, Communication Skills, Coping Skills, Depression, Family Conflict, Grief, LGBTQ+, Marital and Premarital, Mood Disorders, Peer Relationships, Racial Identity, Relationship Issues, School Issues, Self Esteem, Sex-Positive & Kink Friendly, Spirituality, Stress, Substance Use, Women's Issues

Insurance

Out of Network

Fees

Individual sessions $175, couple sessions $195; sliding scale available

Payment methods

American Express, Discover, Health Savings Account, Mastercard, Visa

Ages

Teen, Adults

Works with

Individuals, Couples, Family

Communities

Bisexual Allied, Gay Allied, HIV / AIDS Allied, Intersex Allied, Lesbian Allied, Non-Binary Allied, Queer Allied, Racial Justice Allied, Sex Worker Allied, Single Parent, Transgender Allied

Languages

English

Gender

Female

Education

St. Edwards University

Years in practice

7

Education & qualifications