Providers

Your therapist but…..with a sprinkle of sarcasm.

Why hello… My name is Sarah Hawkins and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with extensive training in Advanced Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), Trust based relational interventions (TBRI) and certifications in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). Currently, I am working on my doctorate in Sexology with a concentration on sex offender treatment. I am a part of the LGBTQIA+ community and have extensive schooling, training, and experience working with this population – maybe you have seen me at the Center.  I currently am a member and have been a member of the Association for the Treatment and Prevention of Sexual Abuse (ATSA), for the past 10+ years.

I earned my undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) with a minor in Sociology. I received my masters in Marriage and Family therapy from Capella University. I am an active member of the DFS/SafeNest domestic violence committee that works to support the family in its entirety. As a marriage and family therapist, systematically working with the family to address generational trauma and experiences that are impacting their day to day within the relational system. More than anything else my main goal is therapeutic focus on deep, long-term changes that can benefit the individual and the family. CHANGE THE CYCLE or EMBRACE THE CYCLE.

My current approach to therapy comes from a collection of modalities, theories, training, and experiences that have led me to work from a client focused, solution orientated, and exhaustively eclectic with different modalities being used to tailor base my approach on the unique needs of the client to best assist them in their healing journey. My role in the therapeutic journey is to offer a space to reflect and explore experiences with a clinician who has a plethora of skills and tools to support the client in a non-judgmental and safe manner, providing an exceptional experience and facilitate healing and growth

I have been working in the mental health field in one capacity or another for the past 20 years. I started this journey working with at-risk youth (probation, parole, truancy, conduct disorder, oppositional defiant, anger, aggression, promiscuity, BPD, suicidality, etc…), one of my main reasons for wanting to start with this population is I personally was an at-risk youth myself and due to a amazing support system and my own miracle working therapist, I was able to identify and develop skills to assist me with my own trauma, feelings, and developed a better sense of self worth. I realized that my anger was me projecting my hurt to anyone I encountered, and as a teenager I felt I had no value and no one cared.

Fast forward, I want to provide that support and be that person for others. Individuals make bad choices, and have bad behaviors – but no one is a bad person. Individuals can learn better ways to cope and process through events leading them to increased self worth and esteem – and I want to help them through these times and get to the other side. I am intensely passionate about teenagers and their family systems. Spending 10+years with at-risk youth and their families led me to continuing my journey and I started working with juvenile sex offenders. Working with this population was an eye opener on the lack of understanding, lack of empathy, the intense cycle of abuse in family systems,  and the need to assist individuals within this specific population so that they are able to function in today’s society. Currently, my doctorate has a concentration on addressing the needs to assist with prevention and rehabilitation of sex offenders. As an active member of ATSA, it is the goal to continue this work ending sexual harm through evidence based practices, informed public policy, and collaborative strategies. These practices can lead to the effective assessment, treatment, and management of individuals who have sexually abused or are at risk to abuse, enhance community safety, reduce sexual recidivism, protect victims and vulnerable populations, transform the lives of those caught in the web of sexual violence, and illuminate paths to prevent sexual abuse.

My journey continued along with my education leading me to working with various individuals at a group practice for 4+ years. At this time I got to work with less at-risk, but was diversified to individuals with a wide range of concerns. My passion started to shift to the family system and working with the families to assist with the BIG PICTURE. To this day, I continue to be passionate about at-risk but it has expanded to all individuals – not just teens.

Currently I am a Co-Founder and Managing Director of Shining Minds and am a LMFT – Look at me now! Without being where I was, I would not have been given the insight and experiences to find this passion in the work I do. Getting to the final destination is the battle we all go through. Let me assist in that and together we can make the journey less burdensome and maybe even fun.

 “Our wounds are often the openings into the best and most beautiful part of us.” No matter what wound or wounds you are suffering with, no matter how big or small I am here to help you heal. Let me meet you where you are. Currently I am available in-home, office, or via telehealth sessions.

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Children and Families are my people, where are my people?

Hello, my name is Michael Sorensen, and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker LCSW. I have over 10 years of experience working with children and their families. Not only am I a therapist who specializes in this population, but I am also an active child advocate (Court Appointed Special Advocate or CASA). I am also part of the LGBTQIA+ community. I have an undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Nevada – Reno where my education began, to its completion at the University of Phoenix. I received my master’s in social work from the Barbara Solomon School of Social Work at Walden University. With a robust background of more than four years in therapeutic practice, I have developed a comprehensive skill set in supporting clients through their personal growth and healing journeys.” I have also begun working with families who have engaged in domestic violence. I work with them to understand their role in the situation, and how they can overcome their legal presumptions. I am an active member of the DFS/SafeNest domestic violence committee that works to support the WHOLE family. I have been certified and trained in the Safety Intervention and Permanency System (SIPS) for The Department of Family Services in Clark County, Nevada. I am also a registered Education Advocate with Legal Aid of Southern Nevada. I am working to become a registered play therapist and forensic interviewer.

As a child and family therapist, I practice many different modalities of treatment, from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to Solution Focused Therapy, to Play Therapy. When working with children I believe that Play therapy’s focus on relationships and experience creates positive changes in the brain. While kids explore their concerns, the therapeutic relationship helps regulate their emotions, allowing the brain to make structural changes. These changes lead to better understanding and more adaptive behaviors. I work with children and their families to overcome prior trauma, behavioral and emotional regulation, and ultimately bring families back together again as a stronger, more cohesive unit than before.

I believe that engagement and building a therapeutic bond is the key to working with a therapist. As a person who works primarily with children, it is prudent for me to understand how children behave and what is normal, and appropriate childhood development, and milestone achievement. Understanding a child’s history and family system provides the context that is needed to bring about meaningful change and to create a safe and supportive place for both the child and the family to grow.