Health at Every Size® Healthcare Provider Listing

Sarah Alexander, LCSW
(she/her)
mental health outpatient therapy
Brave Acorn
Portland,
Oregon,
United States
Contact Me:
Make an Appointment:
Takes Insurance
Not currently accepting new clients/patients
In-Network Insurance Companies:
- Aetna
- Cigna
- Kaiser
- MHN
- MODA
- PacificSource
- Providence
Specialties & Areas of Focus:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Eating Disorders & Disordered Eating
- PTSD
Modalities & Theoretical Lenses:
- EMDR
- Language of Emotions
Age Groups Served:
- Adults (18 years old and up)
- Adults (18 years old and up)
Additional Populations Served & Allied Groups:
- LBGTQIA+
- Perfectionists
Languages Services Offered In:
- English
- English
My Philosophy of Care
Most people who come to see me about weight issues believe that that their weight, food, or body is the problem: “If I could just [be my ideal weight, eat what I should, fix my metabolism, etc.], I would be better and my life would be so much easier.” Our society’s so-called “obesity epidemic” did not originate with weight problems, however; weight wasn’t and isn’t the problem. Instead, over the centuries, authorities from various walks of life (and with various motives) have determined that people need to eat or look a certain way in order to be “good,” “attractive,” or “healthy.” I do not attempt to help people solve their weight issues by helping them fit into society’s current transient ideal. Instead, I help people shift to an entirely different way of thinking about (and treating) their own bodies and relationship with food.
Emotions are a crucial aspect of psychology and, thus, mental health. Our culture is so emotion-phobic, even therapists are not generally educated as to the function of emotions in their formal training. As a result, even therapists tend to offer advice on how to regulate or control emotions. However, emotions don’t create problems. They arise to help you deal with the problems. I teach people how to work with emotions as allies (rather than enemies) of healing and growth.
About Me & My Practice
I am owner and founder of Brave Acorn. I received my Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Virginia in 1995 with a double major in Psychology and Women’s Studies. I began practicing full-time as a therapist in 2001. I received my Master of Social Work degree from Portland State University in 2005 and have been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the state of Oregon since 2008. I have worked in a community mental health setting for substance abuse, a day-treatment setting for eating disorders, a university counseling center, and an outpatient trauma treatment center. I teach graduate counseling students in the Eating Disorder Certificate track at Lewis and Clark College and was president of the board for the Columbia River Eating Disorder Network 2017-2019. I teach clients and helping professionals the Language of Emotions (based on the work of Karla McLaren).
Accessibility Considerations
Our office is wheelchair accessible. We have chairs that hold up to 800 pounds. We put notices on the bulletin board of local values-aligned providers in various fields. We don't put magazines in the waiting room that celebrate the thin ideal.