THE RELATIONSHIP CENTER
SARAH FORD
Focus Areas
Religious Trauma and Faith Deconstruction: Religion and spirituality can be a source of comfort, guidance, and community for many, but for others, these aspects of life may have caused harm. If you've experienced religious trauma, it can be deeply healing to process your experiences with a trusted therapist. I am honored to support individuals seeking to navigate the complex and courageous journey of healing from religious hurt, especially for those questioning the beliefs that have shaped their worldview. Together, we will move at your pace, focusing on restoring trust in yourself and reclaiming the parts of you that were overshadowed by harmful religious teachings. Whether you wish to step away from religion, explore new spiritual practices, or find comfort in the unknown, I am here to guide you toward personal growth, authenticity, and healing.
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Perfectionism and Shame: Perfectionism can lead to feelings of shame, anxiety, frustration, and unworthiness, often making you feel like you're never enough. It may show up as high achievement at the cost of balance, where you struggle to say no, relax, or enjoy hobbies without the pressure to be perfect. On the other hand, it can also manifest as procrastination, fear of failure, and a critical inner voice that drains your confidence. This inner pressure can make it difficult to form deep, authentic relationships because vulnerability and self-acceptance are hard to embrace. Through our work together, we will help you to build self-compassion, challenge harmful thought patterns, and to create a healthier balance in life, ultimately empowering you to pursue your dreams with clarity, confidence, and authentic connections with others.
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Anxiety: When we work together to address anxiety, each session is a space to explore your unique needs and concerns. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to anxiety, so I will collaborate with you to create a personalized plan that targets your specific experiences. Whether we're managing immediate stressors or diving deeper into past experiences and unconscious beliefs, we will build a stronger sense of self-awareness and develop practical coping strategies to help you feel more equipped to handle the ebb and flow of anxiety. Through our work together, you will gain the tools to recognize, understand, and manage your anxiety, helping you reduce its impact and show up as your full self in the present moment with greater self-compassion and resilience.​​​
Sarah Ford
She/Her/Hers
Licensed Professional Counselor
TRC North Canton
Approach
I deeply value the working relationships I form with my clients and consider it a privilege to be part of their healing journey. I believe that everyone has the inner wisdom to know what they need and where they want to go - my role is to be a supportive, empowering, travel companion in guiding them back to themselves. My counseling approach is eclectic, grounded in Emotive Psychodynamic principles, allowing us to explore emotions, increase self-expression, develop insights, and experience growth that comes from a therapeutic relationship built on trust. Clients often experience growth in self-awareness through our interpersonal work, which helps uncover unconscious fears, desires, and defenses. It is an honor to walk alongside my clients as they gain clarity, heal, and pursue their life goals with greater inner health, mindfulness, authenticity, and compassion.
Qualifications
I earned my Master's Degree in Professional Counseling from Liberty University in 2015 and have been dedicated to supporting individuals in their personal growth ever since. With a commitment to being a lifelong learner, I continually seek to expand my knowledge and skills to better serve my clients. Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of working in both private practice and community mental health settings, supporting adults, adolescents, children, and families. My role as a school-based therapist sparked my passion for mental health advocacy. Over the past decade, I have personally navigated my own journey of deconstructing from a high-control, fundamentalist religious background, which has deepened my empathy and understanding for those navigating similar complexities as they explore and heal from their faith experiences.
Personal Information
Here are things that matter to me: living in alignment with my values, showing up in authenticity, honoring and celebrating the autonomy and humanity of others. Here are things I like: Reading books, watching stand-up comedy, listening to music, and being outdoors (hiking, biking, snowboarding, and gardening). Here are things I love: my family (my husband and I are enjoying the wild ride of parenthood with two young children who inspire us with their imaginations and fantastic senses of humor), my friends (near and far), and creating (making art of all kinds and writing stories). I'm an INFJ and Enneagram 9w1.