Hello! My name is Sara Ciccariello and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of New York. I’ve been a social worker for over twenty years and absolutely love what I do. I have spent most of my post college life going back to school for more education and training. It definitely makes me a more well-rounded therapist and I am always looking for a way to expand what I can do therapeutically with my clients. My areas of specialty include stress and anxiety management, alcohol and substance abuse and addictions, relationship issues, trauma, and family conflict. With a school based background I also have extensive experience with children and adolescents, developmental disabilities, and the special education process.
Initiating counseling can often be an intimidating process for people; it’s not always easy talking to someone you don’t know about things that are personal and sometimes confusing or hard to explain. Whenever I start working with someone I always stress the importance of the therapeutic relationship…you should always feel comfortable enough with your therapist to talk about uncomfortable topics. Your therapist isn’t necessarily going to have answers for you but together you work towards your goals and having a connection with the therapist makes that process work in the most optimal way possible. It is important that the manner in which I work, works for you so I want to make sure I represent myself to you in the most honest way that I can.
I am a very realistic person. I think people learn best when they hear what they need to in relatively direct way. I never want to leave a client feeling confused about what we discuss so I work to convey a point or explanation using understandable and relatable examples. I often ask clients to do some “homework” which may entail thinking of some examples of their own related to the topic we discuss, and then we can talk about it further during the next session.
We all have responsibilities and obligations in our lives that at times can cause us stress or that may become problematic in other areas of our lives. These things are all interconnected and eventually if you are struggling in one area it is bound to impact another. My expectation of my role in this partnership between you and I, is to provide a forum for you in which together we can identify your personal challenges and how best to overcome them, identify your personal goals and ways to best achieve them, and look at how your coping skills through times of distress or struggle may negatively be impacting your responses and how you can work to develop healthier, more effective coping skills.
I look forward to a great partnership with you!
Additional areas of focus: Addictions, LGBT, Grief, Intimacy-related issues, Eating disorders, Sleeping disorders, Parenting issues, Anger management, Career difficulties, Bipolar disorder, Depression, Coping with life changes, Compassion fatigue, ADHD
Clinical approaches: Client-Centered Therapy, Mindfulness Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy
NY LCSW 073694
These quotes represent just a few of the many positive reviews that we have received for Sara Ciccariello. We don't pay anyone to provide their review and they are all made voluntarily. Some people's experience receiving therapy with BetterHelp might be different.
Sara you go girl!
Written on Dec 13, 2021 after therapy with Sara for 1 year and 3 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, self esteem, career difficulties, coping with life changes, compassion fatigue, and adhd
Sara is the best counselor I have ever had before. I would strongly recommend her to anyone. For once I didn't feel like I was like a test subject being experimented on with various therapy techniques, she actually adjusted greatly how she worked with me to match my persona. I can't say enough how much I appreciate a counselor who's willing to make a real connection like that and treat you almost as a friend, I think many of us need that level of connection in order to feel that we can really be vulnerable before our counselor. The professional help is great, but at the core counseling is an extremely personal thing, and the combination of both is what makes counseling great. Thanks again Sara!
Written on Oct 17, 2020 after therapy with Sara for 1 month on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, addictions, self esteem, career difficulties, and adhd
Sara was really helpful. She is very thoughtful and responsive. I highly recommend her.
Written on Sep 15, 2020 after therapy with Sara for 3 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, sleeping disorders, self esteem, and adhd