About Sarah
Thriving has always been the throughline.
As early as first grade, I remember being fascinated by what helps people live their best lives. That curiosity has followed me from management consulting projects and counseling offices to college classrooms and stages across the country.
I’m an educator, lifelong learner, and people person at heart, with a healthy dose of nerd. I love turning proven psychological science into practical ideas that help people work, lead, and live a little — or a lot — better.
My Professional Path
Each role gave me a new vantage point.
My career began in management consulting, where I helped Fortune 500 companies steer major change efforts and saw firsthand that even the smartest approach can stall when the human side of work gets overlooked. My time with a Big Four firm gave me a front-row seat to how communication, trust, leadership, and other so-called “soft skills” affect real business outcomes.
Pursuing graduate training in psychology expanded my aperture. Clinical work uncovered the deeply personal side of those same skills: how they shape relationships, resilience, and the ways folks respond when they feel stuck. In my 20+ years as a counseling and consulting psychologist, I’ve met with bright, capable people who often reach insight on their own, yet need support to turn that “aha!” into meaningful behavior change.
As a professor, I bring the knowledge I’ve gained into college classrooms, each lecture sharpening my ability to take complex social science and make it accessible, actionable, and engaging. I read academic journals for fun and get a kick out of turning statistics into strategies and skills anyone can use.
In combination, these experiences have led me to look at workplace challenges from more than one angle: the individual and the system, research and the real world, knowing and doing. My takeaway: People and performance aren’t competing priorities. The head and the heart both earn their place. Better work happens when organizations understand the business case for developing people and the human impact of doing it well.
“Sarah quickly established a rapport with clients that allowed her to become their trusted adviser. By guiding and facilitating meaningful conversations, she created moments of realization that led to real change and growth. I’d want Sarah in my emergency lifeboat any day!”
Jackie Old
Former Senior Manager
Ernst & Young
Credentials & Recognition
Where training and track record meet.
STANFORD UNIVERSITY
● BA in Sociology with Honors
● MA in Sociology of Education
● Dornbusch Award for Outstanding Undergraduate
LICENSED PSYCHOLOGIST
● Texas #34515
● PSYPACT® Provider | APIT Mobility #8226
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA
● MA & PhD in Counseling | Clinical | School Psychology
● Certificate in College & University Teaching
● Regents Special Fellow
SELECTED RECOGNITION
League Excellence Award
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ACPA Early Career Achievement Award
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St. Edward’s University EDDIE Innovation Award
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Austin Community College Ackers Values Award
Beyond the Bio
A few things that keep me hopeful and grounded.
A therapy client once dubbed me a “hope hustler,” and the name stuck. I’m drawn to people, places, and experiences that inspire and energize me while keeping me rooted in my values of integrity, connection, and growth.
Growing up as a Navy dependent instilled a lasting love of the ocean, a commitment to service, and the ability to adapt on the fly.
I made it to all 50 states before turning 50, and feel most at peace among tall trees or overlooking the sea. The Big Sur coast remains my happy place.
I’m infinitely curious, drawn to good books, new cultures, thoughtful conversation, and time with family, both chosen and biological.
“Sarah embodies a unique combination of intelligence, warmth, professionalism, and business acumen. She has a remarkable ability to help people find the balance between building essential workplace skills and achieving measurable business results.”
Reggie Jeffries
CEO
Management Masters Academy
Interested in working together?
Let’s look at what you’re navigating from another angle.