From functioning, to living
Depth oriented, trauma informed therapy for people who want to feel more connected to themselves, their relationships, and their life.
Maybe you've spent years being capable, responsible, and remarkably good at getting through difficult things. Perhaps those qualities helped you survive circumstances that left very little room for your own needs.
I don't see those adaptations as something wrong with you. I'm interested in what they made possible, what they may be costing you now, and what you want for yourself as your life continues to unfold.
Maybe you've done therapy before. You understand your history. You can recognize your patterns, but understanding them hasn't necessarily changed how you experience yourself.
There can be a difference between knowing why we do something and having the freedom to respond differently. That's where our work becomes interesting.
Featured in…
How I work:
As a NARM Master Therapist, I work from a simple premise: our adaptations to trauma are old, older than our verbal language, which is why cognitively understanding the pattern rarely changes it.
That is why our work needs to be experiential and present-focused. Our sessions are conversations, but we're not only talking about your life. We use mindful somatic awareness to track what's happening as we talk.
I might reflect back a shift in your voice when you describe something painful, or ask what happens inside when you consider wanting something different for yourself. We might explore a feeling that surprises you, or become curious about something happening between us in the room.
I work actively and collaboratively. I'll ask questions, offer observations, and sometimes challenge the ways you understand yourself. But we'll always be guided by what feels meaningful and important to you.
This is where therapy can become more than understanding your patterns. It becomes an opportunity to experience yourself differently, right here, in relationship.
Who this work is for:
I often work with people who are used to being the steady one, who know what it means to survive chaos, or who are meeting parts of themselves they never knew existed.
A parent trying not to pass on what they inherited. Someone who's the first in their family to do things differently. Queer folks who learned to adapt in rooms that were never built for them.
Someone in the middle of grief, a diagnosis, or a season of uncertainty, still carrying the responsibilities of everyone and everything around them.
Cancer, Genetic Risk, and the Emotional Weight Emotional Weight of Medicine
Some of my work sits inside a more specific world: cancer, hereditary risk, and the medical decisions that come with both.
Medical uncertainty can stir up familiar ways of protecting ourselves. Research becomes relentless. Responsibility expands. The pressure to stay strong and informed can leave little room for the fear, anger, and grief that come with having a vulnerable body.
And often, there is nowhere to bring all of it.
If you're navigating cancer, a high-risk genetic mutation, IVF decisions, surgical timing, or survivorship, you may find yourself functioning remarkably well while feeling anything but steady inside.
Before training as a NARM therapist, I spent four years as a hospice social worker and grief counselor, sitting with people at the edge of loss—their own and their families'. That work shaped how I understand grief: not something to move past, but something to come into relationship with. I wrote more about this in Learning to Feel.
In our work, there is room for the parts of your experience that may have been pushed aside while you were busy making decisions, managing risk, or getting through treatment.
Your body may need medical care. You still deserve to be met as a whole person.
Hi, I’m Sara Champie, LCSW.
'm a psychotherapist and NARM Master Therapist specializing in developmental trauma, grief, and the emotional experience of navigating medical uncertainty.
I bring curiosity, warmth, directness, and a deep respect for the complexity of being human to my work. I'm comfortable with big feelings, difficult truths, and the questions that don't have easy answers. I don't believe we need to make ourselves more acceptable, productive, or emotionally polished to deserve care.
My experience as a hospice social worker, developmental trauma therapist, and someone who has navigated hereditary cancer risk has shaped how I understand vulnerability, grief, and the importance of remaining connected to ourselves through life's most difficult experiences.
Working together
Therapy with me is deliberate, relational, and collaborative. We move thoughtfully and with precision, paying attention to what unfolds in real time, without forcing insight or pushing for dramatic breakthroughs.
There's room to move at your own pace, to be uncertain, and to discover things about yourself that neither of us could have anticipated.
If you're curious about working together, I invite you to schedule a consultation. We can talk about what brings you here, what you're hoping for, and whether working together feels like a good fit.
Three ways we can connect
Individual Support
For California-based clients seeking one-on-one support. Therapy with me is a space to work gently and deeply with the emotional, somatic, and relational impact of trauma and long-term stress. Together, we explore how survival patterns, anxiety, and grief live in the body — and how to rebuild a sense of steadiness, agency, and connection.
Group Programs
An intimate space to connect with others who want to do the deep dive—who want to explore their process, not just their outcomes. With weekly topics, these groups offer community, shared understanding, and guided support for the emotional, relational, and generational challenges of carrying hereditary cancer risk.
Podcast
Conversations about navigating hereditary cancer risk. Join us to talk about life between the scans, and how finding out you have a genetic mutation can be a portal to emotional, relational and intergenerational healing.
