Sara Wong, PhD

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about my practice. Being raised with local culture and values has informed my approach to therapy. I care about understanding the unique factors that make who you are as a person, the family systems and diversity variables that help to inform your worldview, and how we can address your concerns with evidence-based approaches to individual therapy. I enjoy working with individuals who are experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, stress, life transitions, and relationship difficulties. Being raised in an Asian American household, I hope to help normalize the experience of seeking out therapy and to de-stigmatize mental health. We all go through difficult times and seeking out additional support is something that I hope you can feel accepted for and welcomed to. I really appreciate your time in learning more about my approach to therapy and recognize the efforts you are taking in seeking out care. As we start working together, we'll first focus on completing a thorough intake where I will be asking some questions around your upbringing, background, and your goals for treatment. After the first couple of sessions, we'll work together to create a treatment plan where we discuss specific ways and interventions that we can focus on that will address your goals. Throughout our sessions, we'll then continue to revisit our treatment plan to make sure we're effectively addressing your needs & making sure you can get the best out of treatment. I received my doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Pacific University in Oregon, and completed my internship and residency at the VA Pacific Islands Healthcare System. I am appreciative for these training experiences as I have been provided invaluable opportunities to deepen my understanding around how we can effectively target difficulties with our emotions and thoughts. I have training certifications in Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Processing Therapy and CBT for substance use disorders. I use cognitive-behavioral, acceptance-based, culturally-informed and integrative approaches. I am available for telehealth individual sessions and limited face to face appointments. I do not provide child/adolescent or family sessions. I am based on Oahu and available for telehealth sessions to individuals living on the neighbor islands. I offer free 15 minute phone consultations so we can learn more about each other and see if we are a good fit. As of July 2024, I will have limited availability for couples therapy. Please reach out if you and your partner are both interested in couples therapy, and we can hop together on a call to see if we'd be a good fit. **Please note that I do not work directly with insurance carriers. I offer a flat out of pocket fee. Superbills are available upon request if your insurance provider offers out of network reimbursement benefits.** If you wish to reach out, please call me Sara. Look forward to talking with you.