About Sarah
Sarah Small, LCSW is the owner and primary clinician at Heart In Heart Child Therapy, LLC. Sarah decided to open Heart In Heart Child Therapy after 17 years of working in community mental health and school-based mental health with children and adolescents in Northern NJ. A native of Western NY, Sarah recently moved back to the area with her family, bringing with her a passion for her work with children and families and a true love for play therapy. Sarah has trained extensively with Dr. Heidi Kaduson and other leaders in the play therapy field and has dedicated hundreds of hours to specialized training and supervision in providing play therapy to young children. Sarah delights in watching children and families play and grow together and truly values the relationships she builds with all those she serves.
Sarah’s Credentials
Sarah maintains LCSW licenses in both NJ and NY. Sarah is also a Certified School Social Worker in NJ. After earning her undergraduate degree in English from Syracuse University, Sarah taught 7th grade English in the Bronx through Teach For America, a non-profit organization dedicated to bettering educational access and outcomes for students in under-served communities. Through her teaching, Sarah was inspired to pursue social work, going on to earn her MSW from Rutgers-New Brunswick. Sarah has supervised and trained other therapists in clinical social work and has led large school-based social work teams in Newark and Camden, New Jersey. Sarah also brings with her years of experience leading multi-disciplinary Child Study Teams and enjoys collaborating with teachers and other service providers to help students with learning differences reach their highest potential. Sarah has extensive experience advocating for 504 and IEP services for students and is well versed in the Child Study Team process, IDEA and effective accommodations and modifications for children with learning disabilities. Sarah continues to grow her clinical skills through ongoing training and education and through membership in the National Association for Social Workers (NASW) the Association for Play Therapy (APT) and the Theraplay® Institute. Sarah has completed Level One training in Theraplay®. Sarah is also EMDR trained and currently seeking certification as a certified EMDR therapist. Sarah also recently completed Yale’s Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (S.P.A.C.E.) program and is trained to provide the S.P.A.C.E. parenting intervention for families in need of support for children with anxiety and O.C.D. In addition, Sarah recently trained in Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT) and is able to provide tic management training to children and adults living with tics.
Sarah’s Approach to Therapy
Sarah’s overarching theoretical approach is based in attachment theory. From both her experience as a therapist and as a mother, Sarah believes that when the child-parent dyad is strong enough, the child will thrive despite the obstacles they are facing. In sessions, Sarah’s approach is most often child-centered, following the lead of the child, allowing the child’s inner sense of self to guide the treatment approach. That said, there will be times when other theories and approaches fit the child’s current need. In those times, attachment-focused, cognitive behavioral, behavioral and/or psychodynamic approaches may be utilized in a direct manner to meet the need the child is currently exhibiting, applying theory and practice in a prescriptive, individualized way. Sarah is always looking for what the child and parent are in need of now and how she can best help the child and parent meet that need. While Sarah understands and values a child’s right to confidentiality, Sarah also strongly believes in the need for parents of young children to know what is being done in sessions. Sarah seeks to bring parents (and other key adults in the child’s life) in as partners in the therapeutic process in a way that honors both the child as well as the parent.