Saralyn Ativie , LSCSW

Saralyn Ativie is a Kansas-based licensed social worker with 26 years of professional experience supporting people through stress, anxiety, addictions, depression, self-esteem challenges, and life transitions. She has worked with a wide range of individuals, couples, military service members, and veterans, bringing a respectful and compassionate approach to each person she meets. Saralyn emphasizes a collaborative relationship in which the client is regarded as the expert on their own story while she serves as a guide and source of support as they navigate difficult changes and pursue meaningful goals.

She holds an LSCSW, which stands for Licensed Specialist Clinical Social Worker, and integrates faith-informed perspectives when clients indicate that spiritual resources are important to their healing and growth. Her practice draws on client-centered methods that prioritize the person sitting across from her, empowerment strategies that build confidence, motivational interviewing to spark and sustain change, mindfulness techniques to increase present-moment awareness, solution-focused tools to set practical goals, and cognitive behavioral strategies to address unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns.

Saralyn is invested in helping people discover a sense of purpose, repair communication and relationship challenges, work through feelings of abandonment, guilt, or shame, and address mood disorders and workplace or life-role stresses. She approaches care with dignity and compassion, encouraging clients to invest in their wellbeing and take practical steps toward lasting change.

Therapeutic Approaches and Remote Care Options

Saralyn uses client-centered therapy, which focuses on understanding each person from their own perspective and creating a supportive environment where they can explore values, goals, and personal strengths. This approach is helpful for people facing life transitions, relationship concerns, or questions about purpose.

She also draws on cognitive behavioral therapy - CBT - to help identify and shift patterns of thought and behavior that contribute to anxiety, depression, or unhealthy coping. CBT provides practical tools for managing symptoms and building new, healthier habits. Additionally, mindfulness therapy is used to increase present-moment awareness and reduce reactivity to stress, which can benefit clients struggling with anxiety, mood regulation, or addictive behaviors.

Finding the right approach is part of the collaborative process. Saralyn partners with each person to determine which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences, adapting strategies as progress unfolds.

Online therapy sessions can be scheduled as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, offering flexibility for busy schedules, mobility limitations, or those who prefer remote care. These options make it easier to maintain continuity of support while balancing everyday responsibilities.