Sarah Benitez-Zandi, MSW, LCSW

Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Trauma & Identity Specialist
Relationship, Reproductive, and Life Transitions Mental Health
EMDR, ART & Somatic Therapy Trained

Hi, I’m Sarah (she/her)

A young woman with brown, curly hair and a bright smile, wearing a sleeveless green top and a silver necklace, standing outdoors with blurred buildings in the background.

What I Help With

1. Trauma & Nervous System Regulation

  • Complex PTSD, dissociation, developmental trauma

  • High-functioning clients with hidden or internalized stress

  • Therapists, physicians, first responders, and caregivers

  • Chronic people-pleasing, overfunctioning, and emotional shutdown

  • Somatic and brain-based strategies for sustainable healing

I help people who “look fine” on the outside finally feel safe and whole on the inside.

2. Relational Wellness & Identity Evolution

  • Repairing communication in committed or evolving relationships

  • Non-traditional partnerships (polyamorous, queer, blended)

  • Life role transitions (career shifts, caregiving, cultural/gender identity)

  • Attachment wounds, codependency, and legacy burdens

  • Boundary work and emotional clarity

We work to deepen connection, clarify your needs, and strengthen your boundaries—with yourself and others.

3. Reproductive & Life Transitions Mental Health

  • Fertility challenges, pregnancy, postpartum adjustment

  • Motherhood shifts, parenting identity, and caregiving transitions

  • Major life transitions (divorce, relocation, burnout, career shifts)

  • Ambiguous grief and redefining your life in the in-between

I hold space for grief and growth to coexist—while helping you find meaning in what comes next.

4. Co-Parenting & Family Transitions

  • Separation/divorce adjustment

  • Two-home family planning and communication support

  • Conflict reduction and collaborative parenting

  • Strengthening stability and reducing impact on children

I help parents navigate difficult transitions with clarity, intention, and compassion.

I work with individuals, couples, and families navigating trauma, identity shifts, relationship transitions, fertility journeys, grief, and emotional strain—often beneath lives that appear successful, capable, or put-together on the outside.

With over a decade of clinical experience, I offer a grounded, trauma-informed, and relational approach to therapy. My work is LGBTQIA+ affirming, neurodiversity-informed, and welcoming to both traditional and non-traditional family systems.

All sessions are private pay, virtual, and designed for people who value privacy, discernment, and meaningful growth.

Here, you don’t have to be the one holding everything together.
Whether you're untangling long-standing trauma, facing emotional burnout, navigating a major life transition, or restructuring your family through co-parenting, this is a space to slow down, integrate, and reconnect with yourself.

My Approach

I combine trauma-informed neuroscience with compassionate, personalized care.
My clinical lens is relational and integrative, drawing from:

  • EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing)

  • Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)

  • Somatic Therapy & Nervous System Regulation

  • Parts Work & Internal Family Systems-Oriented Strategies

  • CBT, mindfulness, and attachment-focused practices

This isn’t about “fixing” you—it’s about honoring what’s gotten you here and creating space for what’s next.

Licensure & Access

I’m licensed in:
WI, IL, IN, IA, OH, PA, SC, MN, FL, CO, and NC

Coaching services are available nationwide and internationally where permitted.

All sessions are fully virtual and private pay. You can expect care that is discreet, responsive, and strategically designed around your goals, schedule, and capacity.