- Attachment-based work
- DBT skills
- Trauma-informed care
About Sara
Sara Tinker, LCSW, has 26 years of clinical experience and practices in Tennessee. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, relationship struggles, trauma and abuse, low self-esteem, depression, addictions, grief, and related concerns. Sara also lists areas such as parenting strain, sleeping problems, anger, bipolar disorder, and compassion fatigue among her focus areas.
Sara uses a mix of relational and body-informed approaches. She draws on attachment-based ideas and client-centered ways of working to help people talk through relationship patterns and unwanted reactions. She also uses Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills for emotional regulation and tools from Emotionally-Focused Therapy to address closeness and attachment issues.
Her background includes a Master of Social Work and long clinical experience in community mental health, adolescent psychiatric and in-home child treatment, and private practice since the early 1990s. Earlier graduate study explored exercise physiology and stress, and she studied yoga and meditation, which shaped her interest in mind-body connections. Those experiences inform how she listens to stress and physical symptoms alongside emotions.
Sara integrates trauma work into her practice. She has trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing and is pursuing advanced EMDR training. She is also engaged with Somatic Experiencing study, which brings attention to bodily responses during trauma processing.
In sessions she aims to build a steady therapeutic relationship and to work collaboratively on communication, boundaries, and coping strategies. Practical aims include clearer decision making, improved patterns in relationships, and better handling of life transitions. Prospective clients should confirm current session options before booking.
How her approaches translate to online work
Attachment-based work focuses on how people connect and respond to others. Online sessions can explore relationship patterns, triggers, and strategies to create different ways of relating. Client-centered work centers on careful listening and reflecting what the client says, which adapts well to remote conversation and paced check-ins. Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, provides concrete skills for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and improved communication that can be practiced between sessions and reviewed over video or phone.Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will assess needs, goals, and preferences and discuss which methods seem most useful. That choice can change as work unfolds, and adjustments are made together based on progress and comfort.
The biography does not list specific online formats, so confirm available session types before booking. In general, remote therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into weekday routines, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and let clients use video or phone options that suit their bandwidth or energy. Online work can also make it simpler to review skills, share worksheets, and practice DBT exercises between meetings, while the therapist and client track what is most helpful.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
26+ years
Listed in
Tennessee
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she address?
Sara works with stress, anxiety, relationship difficulties, trauma and abuse, depression, addictions, grief, and related problems such as sleep issues and parenting strain.
What is her therapeutic style?
She combines client-centered listening with attachment-focused and emotion-oriented methods, and uses practical DBT skills for managing intense emotions.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She brings 26 years of clinical practice, including community mental health, adolescent psychiatric care, and long-term private practice work.
What credentials and region are listed?
Sara holds the credential LCSW and practices in Tennessee.
Which languages are supported and can international clients join?
Sessions are offered in English and international clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are available?
The biography does not specify session formats; please confirm current session options before booking.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.