Sarah R. Punches, Clinical Psychologist
Background, treatment modalities, and areas of expertise
Sarah Punches received her BA in Psychology from Duke University in 2002. She went on to work for Legacy for Children, an intervention-based research study, where she worked with low-income, at-risk mothers and their babies to improve developmental outcomes for the children. Next, Sarah pursued her Doctorate in Psychology from The George Washington University in Washington, DC, where she received her Psy.D. in 2008. Sarah began her career working with adolescents in a psychiatric hospital in Washington as part of her doctoral internship. She did her post-doctoral work as the Upper School Counselor at a K-12 private school in Northern Virginia. Sarah loved working with teenagers and their families in the school environment, so when she moved to Houston, Texas in 2009, she was thrilled to work as the Middle School Counselor at St. John’s School. Sarah served as the MS counselor for three years, while simultaneously beginning her private practice during after school and evening hours. Her three years at St. John’s were extremely valuable and she thoroughly enjoyed being part of the community and working with the middle school students and families. After she had her first child in 2012, Sarah decided to focus on part-time work in private practice. Sarah has maintained a private practice for ten years and predominately works with adolescents and mid-life or young adults. In addition to her work in private practice, Sarah consults with non-profit organizations in Houston and participates as a guest speaker for various groups and organizations on topics related to adolescent mental health.
Sarah integrates several different treatment modalities into her work with clients. She most often utilizes and has training and expertise in the following treatment methods:
· Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
· Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
· Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
· Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy
· Mindful Self Compassion, and other mindfulness-based therapies
· Family Systems
Sarah works with clients that are experiencing a variety of life issues and challenges. The following are some of the areas that Dr. Punches most frequently addresses in her practice:
Anxiety, depression, trauma, divorce, parenting, social struggles, relationship difficulties, grief, life transitions, conflicts related to identity formation and self-esteem, and stress management. When appropriate, Sarah also brings in the spiritual aspect of healing to her work.
Sarah is originally from North Carolina and Connecticut. She has happily lived in Houston for almost 12 years and calls it home. In addition to her work as a Psychologist, Sarah spends her time with her husband and their two wonderfully active and sweet boys.