Sara Saveanu, Associate Therapist

Sara Saveanu, M.S. (she/they) is an Associate Therapist at The Center for Growth beginning August 26th, 2024-August 2025. She is currently studying at Chestnut Hill College and received a master’s degree in clinical and counseling psychology. Sara believes that every individual deserves the opportunity to heal. She is a part of the diverse and underserved track at Chestnut Hill College because she wishes to increase accessibility to mental healthcare services for marginalized communities and to stay culturally informed in her practice. She believes that mental health care and psychoeducation have the power to heal not only individuals, but whole communities.

Sara is a warm, open-minded, and empathetic individual who aims to create a safe and comfortable space for clients to explore, learn about themselves, grow, and ultimately achieve their goals. To do so, she takes a holistic approach tailored to individual client needs. Sara draws many of her techniques from psychodynamic therapy, person-centered therapy, narrative therapy, person-in-environment theory, trauma-informed therapy, and mindfulness to understand and assist a diverse range of clientele. She creates an honest, authentic space free of judgment for healthy curiosity and exploration of self to occur as the client is ready.

 

Sara has interest in working with clients in the following areas of sex therapy:

• Neurodivergence
• LGBTQIA+ populations
• Gender identity/dysphoria
• Trauma/PTSD
• Attachment/relationship issues
• Non-traditional relationships
• Sexual dysfunction
• Low sex drive
• Kink and BDSM
• Problems with orgasm
• Painful sex/vaginismus
• Sex Worker-Affirmative Therapy
• Body image
• Self-esteem

 

Background

Sara has a passion for psychology and helping others that began at a young age. She has always been fascinated by both the individuality and the communality of the human experience. Sara believes that every person can benefit from therapy to gain a deeper understanding and awareness of themselves and their behaviors. 

Sara began her studies at the University of Miami where she obtained her B.A. in psychology. She has a wide variety of passions she explored during her time in college where she was able to graduate with three minors in women and gender studies, philosophy, and ecosystem science and policy. She is an advocate for social justice and the environment and has interests spanning from creative writing to yoga and mindfulness practices, music, art, and the outdoors. Her goal is to integrate her many passions into her work as a therapist and use her creativity to help others.

Sara spent years working in the wellness industry after college where she learned the importance of community and how to create a safe, inclusive space for people to be accepted, uplifted, and supported by one another. As a manager, she learned how to adapt to the unique learning and feedback styles and needs of a diverse team, and the importance of compassion, humility, listening, and taking ownership of her mistakes as a leader.

In her current studies, Sara has developed a holistic counseling skillset focused on diverse and underserved communities. She has explored the topics of global mental health, substance use, couples and family systems, autism spectrum disorders, culture and gender, individual and large-scale trauma, development and attachment, LGBTQIA+ competencies, and marriage and sexuality.

Sara is drawn to psychodynamic/psychoanalytic theory through her own therapeutic journey. She has found that understanding the origins of one’s behavior generates rich insights that allow for self-discovery. By gaining a deeper understanding of oneself, one can gain autonomy of one’s behaviors so that they are no longer rooted in reactivity, but rather awareness, compassion, and thoughtfulness. 

Sara hopes that during her career she can make therapy more accessible and approachable. Her goal is to offer low-cost services for those who cannot normally afford mental health care and to help erase the stigmas surrounding mental health through advocacy and education. After receiving her master’s degree and becoming a licensed professional counselor, Sara wishes to continue her education and obtain a Doctor of Psychology, and then go on to become a certified psychoanalyst.

Sex Therapy

Sara strongly believes that everyone is entitled to a safe, healthy, and fulfilling sex life. She understands that this will look different for every individual and is here to help you meet your personal gratification goals. Sex is often thought of as a shameful, embarrassing, or taboo topic of conversation in our society. Sara wishes to dismantle negative stigmas associated with sex by by creating a safe, open, and honest conversation about pleasure, sex, and intimacy in the therapeutic space and educating her clients about sexual health.

Sexual health can be impacted by a variety of factors, and Sara’s goal is to create a space for the client to understand the root of their sexual dissatisfaction. Sexual satisfaction varies widely from person to person, and issues with sexual health are nothing to be ashamed of. Sara hopes to normalize seeking help for sexual dissatisfaction, as sexual health is as important as any other form of health care for a happy and fulfilling life.

Some topics that might be explored in the therapeutic space include internalized shame or guilt associated with sex, low self-esteem, issues with body image, exploration of sexuality and desire, pain or inability to orgasm during sex, sexual trauma, issues with libido, sexual dissatisfaction in couples, and issues with sexual performance. Sara is kink-friendly, sex positive, and open to any and all conversations regarding sexual health. Sara makes sure to emphasize and educate clients about the importance of safety, bodily autonomy, and consent when exploring one’s sexuality.

Person-Centered Care

Sara recognizes and respects that an individual’s personal beliefs may play a role in their views of sex and their personal sex therapy goals. She is open to working with clients of all different backgrounds and belief systems to find a solution that works for the individual within their context and personal goals. Autonomy is vitally important in both the therapeutic space and in sexual exploration. Sara empowers her clients to collaborate with her to determine their therapeutic goals and to lead sessions. In this way, Sara takes a person-centered approach to therapy and meets her clients where they are at. The client is the expert in their life and experiences and thus it is up to the therapist to adapt to the client rather than the other way around. She never pressures a client to disclose or discuss anything that they do not wish to, and makes sure the client understands that this is their space to work at whatever pace they feel comfortable. 

Psychodynamic Theory

Sara is a strong believer that our past experiences affect our current behaviors and our understanding of the world. By building a supportive and trustworthy relationship with her clients, Sara opens up a non-judgmental space for conversations about sex and intimacy. For some, sexual health is impacted by fear of vulnerability or shame associated with sexual desires. Sara uses psychodynamic theory to understand the core of sexual dysfunction or dissatisfaction in relation to one’s past experiences and relationships. Through deepened awareness, clients can unravel negative associations and feelings associated with sex and eventually be able to achieve a healthy and satisfying sex life that meets their needs.

Trauma-Informed Therapy

Sara recognizes the profound effect of trauma on the mind and body. One area of interest for Sara is working with clients who have experienced sexual trauma that is interfering with their sexual and mental health. Sara helps clients understand how trauma has informed their present-day relationship with sex, and the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationship dynamics. Sexual trauma can impact a person’s ability to experience pleasure and may lead to dysregulated sex drive, and fear, shame, and anxiety surrounding sexual experiences.

Through mindfulness exercises, Sara helps clients reconnect with their bodies and their pleasure alone or with a partner in a safe and secure environment. Once a person feels safe, calm, and grounded in their body, they can begin reexploring their sexuality. Sara also uses techniques such as narrative therapy to help a client explore their story on their own terms and work through areas of distortion that are impacting their ability to function and move forward.

Neurodivergence and Sexual Health

Sara has an interest in working with clients who are neurodivergent and believes that every brain deserves to be understood, celebrated, and uplifted. Neurodivergence can impact a person’s sex life. Sara works with neurodivergent clients to improve their sexual gratification by exploring how their unique brain affects their sexual performance and collaborating to come up with strategies to help clients have a more fulfilling sex life. She works with a client’s brain rather than against a client’s brain to find solutions that are authentic and desirable to the individual.

Couples and Sexuality

Sex is a part of many romantic relationships, and thus can also become a source of frustration in relationships for a variety of reasons. Conflict and resentment between couples can result from sexual dissatisfaction or lead to sexual dissatisfaction. As every person and every body is different, it may take some exploration between couples to figure out what works for them. Sara works with clients to understand the root of their conflict and dissatisfaction by helping them communicate their desires and their woes effectively. By facilitating effective communication in the therapeutic space, couples can generate insight into one another’s thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and desires. Through this understanding, couples can safely explore ways to achieve sexual satisfaction in a healthy, consenting, and mutually beneficial way.

Queer Identities, Non-Traditional Relationships, and Sexual Health

Sara also has an interest in working with individuals that are a part of LGBTQIA+ community or exploring any and all spectrums of gender or sexuality. As a member of the queer community, Sara understands firsthand the complex and difficult process of exploring one’s identity and searching for safety, community, and acceptance throughout this process. Every person’s journey with their gender and sexuality is unique, and Sara hopes to help members who are a part of this community discover who they are in a safe, curious, and accepting space and learn how to integrate their identity into all aspects of their life outside of the therapy room.

Sara is interested in working with queer clients who are struggling with their sexual health for a variety of reasons. This might include sexual dysfunction related to acceptance of one’s sexual identity, body or gender dysphoria, gender-affirming surgeries, or experimenting to find ways to explore sexual gratification with different partners who have different genitalia or different needs. Sara is also interested in working with individuals who are exploring their sexual desires in a non-traditional way, such as non-monogomy, polyamory, or throuples who are seeking therapy for relationship and/or sexual health issues.