Family Therapy & Parent Coaching
Specialized Support for Neurodivergent Children, Teens, and Their Families
Helping families navigate ADHD, Autism, Executive Functioning, Anxiety, Depression, Emotional Regulation, and School Challenges.
Together I'll help you move out of constant conflict, overwhelm, and uncertainty to calm confidence, stronger connection, and a deeper understanding of your uniquely wired child.
Parenting doesn't have to feel like you're walking on eggshells.
You love your child deeply-- but lately it feels like you're spending more time managing meltdowns, homework battles, emotional outbursts, and school emails than actually enjoying being together.
I get it. And I've been there, too.
You don't have to figure it out alone.
Whether I'm working directly with your teen or partnering with you as a parent, my goal is the same:
To strengthen the relationships that matter most while helping every member of the family better understand how your child's brain works—and how to support them in ways that actually help.
Why Families Work with Me:
Supporting neurodivergent children and their families is deeply personal to me—not just professionally, but personally as well.
As a licensed therapist for more than 16 years and the parent of two wonderfully neurodivergent kids of my own (now 11 and 13!), I understand both sides of the journey. I've experienced the questions, the advocacy, the school meetings, the trial and error, and the deep desire every parent has to help their child thrive while preserving a strong, connected relationship.
My approach combines extensive clinical training with years of hands-on experience supporting children, teens, parents, schools, and multidisciplinary care teams.
My background includes:
- Over 16 years as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor specializing in relationships, attachment, trauma-informed care, and Emotionally Focused Therapy.
- Former School Counselor, Parent Educator, and Social Emotional Learning Specialist at Open Window School in Bellevue, where I partnered with students, families, and educators to help neurodivergent children succeed both academically and emotionally.
- Extensive experience navigating Washington State public schools, including helping families understand and advocate through the IEP and 504 process for students with ADHD, autism, giftedness, executive functioning challenges, and other learning differences.
- Parent coaching integrated with family and couples therapy, recognizing that parenting differences are one of the most common sources of stress within relationships and that supporting parents often creates meaningful change for the entire family.
- Executive functioning support to help children and teens build practical skills for organization, planning, emotional regulation, and independence.
- Graduate education in Nutrition and Holistic Health, allowing me to consider the whole child and discuss lifestyle factors that can influence attention, mood, energy, and overall well-being.
- Collaborative, wraparound care, working closely with pediatricians, psychiatrists, psychologists, neuropsychologists, occupational therapists, and school teams to ensure families receive coordinated, consistent support.
- A strengths-based, relationship-centered philosophy that looks beyond behaviors to understand each child's unique nervous system, developmental needs, and potential.
My philosophy:
Children thrive when they feel understood.
Parents thrive when they feel supported.
And families thrive when everyone learns to work with a child's unique brain rather than against it.
My goal isn't simply to reduce challenging behaviors. It's to help your family build stronger relationships, deeper understanding, greater confidence, and practical tools that create lasting change at home, at school, and beyond.
My Approach
Why Families Seek Support:
• Home feels like constant battles, chaos, or egg shells.
• Their child is anxious, overwhelmed, or shutting down.
• ADHD is affecting school, friendships, or family life.
• Executive functioning challenges create daily frustration.
• They feel judged—or misunderstood—by others.
• Families feel misunderstood at school meetings.
• They aren't sure whether their child needs additional support, or what kind to focus on.
• Parenting strategies that worked for one child don't work for another.
I believe behavior always has meaning.
Instead of asking,
"How do we get this behavior to stop?"
I help families ask,
"What is this behavior communicating?"
Children do well when they can.
When they struggle, it's often because they're missing specific skills—not because they're lacking motivation.
Together we'll look beneath the behavior to understand the nervous system, developmental needs, executive functioning skills, sensory experiences, emotional flexibility, family dynamics, and relationship patterns contributing to the challenges you're facing.
What Makes My Practice Different
I understand both the clinical side—and the real-life side.
I know what it feels like to sit through difficult school meetings and feel misunderstood.
To advocate for services.
To wonder whether your child is getting the support they deserve.
To question whether you're handling things "the right way."
You don't need another professional who simply tells you what's wrong.
You deserve someone who helps you understand your child, strengthen your relationship, and build a plan that works in everyday life.
Areas of Expertise
Parent Support
ADHD parenting
Parent coaching
Emotional regulation
Executive functioning
Challenging behaviors
Co-parenting
Family communication
Blended families
Teen Therapy (12+)
Anxiety
ADHD
Depression
Self-esteem
Social anxiety
Friendship struggles
Motivation
Executive functioning
Emotional regulation
Identity development
School Support
IEP consultation
504 planning
School advocacy
Teacher collaboration
Homeschooling
School fit and transition planning
You Don't Have to Figure This Out Alone
Whether you're looking for therapy for your teen, guidance as a parent, or support navigating the complexities of raising a neurodivergent child,
I'd be honored to walk alongside your family.
Schedule a complimentary 15-minute consultation,
and together we'll explore how therapy can help your family move from surviving to thriving.
What Clients Are Saying
from 12 Google reviews"I can't recommend Sara highly enough. She's compassionate, grounded, and creates an incredibly safe, welcoming space. Her ability to listen with real presence and offer thoughtful, judgment-free insight is rare. She's a wonderful human and a truly gifted therapist — anyone would be lucky to work with her."
"Sara is such an experienced and skillful clinician. She's especially skilled with relational work. You are in luck if she's got openings!"
"Sara is an outstanding therapist. She's professional, easy to talk to, and provides practical guidance that makes a real difference. I highly recommend her to anyone looking for a therapist they can trust."
"Sara Nied is an exceptionally talented therapist with 16 years of experience helping people make real, positive breakthroughs. She is incredibly sharp, deeply empathetic, and so down-to-earth that you immediately feel at ease…"
"Sara is an incredibly warm, insightful, and compassionate person. She has a wonderful ability to make people feel heard, understood, and at ease. Her warmth, positive spirit, and intelligence shine through in every interaction."
"Sara is so kind and I always feel deeply cared about and deeply heard. Definitely recommend!"
