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About Me
Bio
Sarah Kwawu LMFT-A, ATR-BC, L-CAT
A Licensed and Board Certified Creative Arts Therapist, and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate, Sarah has been working both internationally and locally for the last 15 years, with children, families, and individuals.
Sarah has worked in numerous settings including international schools, child protective services, day facilities, intensive outpatients, and with the United States Peace Corps. In addition to counseling services, Sarah enjoys engaging in lecturing and education opportunities, including being one of the pioneer lecturers in Africa’s only masters program in Art Therapy, at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, and a being a core faculty member at the International School Counseling Association.
Sarah started her career in New York City after attending Pratt Institute, but has lived and worked internationally. Her career has spanned both Ghana and Morocco, valuing the expanded lens that international work provides, and understanding individuals who identify as third culture. Outside of professional pursuits, Sarah is a mother, wife, compassionate community member and spiritually aligned Quaker. Sarah currently resides in Charlotte North Carolina.
Working with Me
I believe that every client is their own expert, and that a therapist’s job is to help a client remove barriers towards their growth and success. It is easy to lose touch with our inner goals and goodness, to feel disconnected from our authentic self or those we love. Sometimes professional help is needed to bring about small changes and insights that result in big outcomes. I am an eclectic therapist, meaning I draw from multiple theories, but some of my favorites are Internal Family Systems, Emotionally Focused Therapy, Narrative, Jungian, and Object Relations. A session with me might include making art, using our imagination to reexamine a memory, building skills around boundaries and self-compassion, or just talking. I take care to integrate a clients spiritual and cultural preferences into sessions, and I emphatically and enthusiastically support clients of all diverse backgrounds, and believe in affirming care for individuals of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and expressions.
Education and Licenses
Masters of Art Therapy and Creative Development
Masters of Marriage and Family Therapy
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate (LMFT-A)
Licensed Creative Arts Therapist (L-CAT)
Art Therapist Registered, Board Certified (ATR-BC)
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy training through the Beck Institute
- Forensic Child Interviewing through National Children’s Advocacy Center
- Child Protection training through the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children
- Certified Mindfulness-Informed Professional
ISCA Academy Ongoing
- “Supporting SEL Through Art Therapy; Strategies for Artists and Non-artists Alike”
International School Counseling Association Conference November 2022
- “Bridging the Gap: Using the Creative Arts Therapies as a Cross Cultural Engagement Tool”
Expressive Arts Therapy Summit October 2022
- “Ethics Abroad: Adjusting Your Lens when Working Internationally”
Dare County Arts Council June 2021
- “The MARI Method: Interpreting Mandalas for Self-Growth”
Emerson Consulting UK October 2020
- “Teaching and Learning in a time of Crisis”
Color of Africa May 2019
- “Managing Anxiety through Art Making”