meet
Sarah Richardson, Plpc
Kansas City counselor for individuals, couples & families
Finding the right therapist is about more than credentials or approach. It's about finding someone you can be yourself with, even when you're talking about hard things. The relationship you build with your therapist plays a big role in the work you'll do together. That's why I believe finding the right fit is one of the most important parts of starting therapy.
about me
get to
know me
How I found this work
Before becoming a counselor, I spent nearly a decade working as a graphic designer. A lot of my work centered around communication and how people make meaning, how emotion and experience can be expressed visually, and how what’s left unsaid often matters just as much as what’s visible on the surface.
Over time, I found myself increasingly drawn toward people rather than brands. I became more interested in the emotional lives underneath the polished exterior, the parts of ourselves we try to hide, protect, or make sense of. Therapy felt like a natural extension of that curiosity and care.
What I carry with me from design and what I bring into the therapy room now is a particular kind of attention. The ability to notice patterns, sit with complexity, and stay present without rushing toward easy answers. I believe the way someone is listened to and understood can be deeply healing.
Becoming a therapist didn’t feel like leaving one career behind for another. It felt like moving closer to the kind of work that mattered most to me.
I believe therapy works best when you feel safe enough to be real. That includes the messy, uncertain, ashamed, angry, overwhelmed, hopeful, protective, or contradictory parts of you.
I don’t see people as broken or as problems to solve. Most of the patterns that bring people to therapy — anxiety, people-pleasing, perfectionism, shutting down, overthinking, difficulty in relationships — developed for important reasons. In the room, we work to understand those patterns with curiosity instead of judgment.
Clients often tell me they appreciate that I’m warm, thoughtful, honest, and grounded. I’ll challenge you when needed, but I also deeply respect how vulnerable it can feel to let someone
into your inner world.
I’ve been in therapy myself and know firsthand how hard it can be to ask for help. I don’t sit across from clients as someone who has life figured out. I sit with people as another human being who understands the courage it takes to show up honestly and want something different for yourself.
my approach
- Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) — primary approach for couples and family work
- Internal Family Systems (IFS) — primary approach for individual therapy
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Somatic and body-based approaches
- Attachment-based therapy
- Psychodynamic and relational frameworks
- Experiential therapy
Therapeutic modalities
training & experience
Training, credentials & licensure
I hold a Master of Arts in Counseling from the University of Missouri–Kansas City (UMKC), with a specialization in Couples and Family Counseling. I am a Provisionally Licensed Professional Counselor (PLPC) in the state of Missouri, working under the clinical supervision of Jessica Nickels, LPC and affiliated with KC Well Co.
My training emphasized systemic, relational, and attachment-based frameworks, with particular depth in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for couples and Internal Family Systems (IFS) for individuals. I am also trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), an evidence-based approach to trauma processing that I integrate into individual therapy when appropriate.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR is a structured, evidence-based therapy originally developed for trauma and PTSD — and now widely used for anxiety, grief, phobias, and the lasting effects of difficult life experiences. Rather than requiring you to talk through painful events in detail, EMDR works by helping your brain reprocess distressing memories so they lose their emotional charge.
I integrate EMDR into individual therapy when it's a good fit, always collaboratively, and always at your pace. If you're curious about whether EMDR might be helpful for what you're working through, we can talk through it during your free consultation.
- Thoughtful and self-reflective, even if they feel stuck
- Navigating a transition that's shaken their sense of identity or direction
- Carrying anxiety, self-doubt, or old wounds that keep showing up in their present life
- In a relationship that matters deeply to them and is struggling
- Willing to go beneath the surface — not just vent, but actually explore
I work with clients of all backgrounds, identities, relationship structures, and life stages. I'm affirming of LGBTQ+ identities and relationships, neurodivergent experiences, and clients from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds.
Who I work with
About me
What working
with me is like
I'm a real person in the room with you. I am often curious, sometimes warm and direct, occasionally funny when humor is what the moment calls for. I take the work seriously. I don't take myself too seriously.
I tend to move between tracking the big picture of your story and getting very specific — a word you chose, a shift in your posture, a pause before the answer. I pay attention to what's said and what isn't. That habit of noticing is something I've carried with me from a long time before I was a therapist.
I won't tell you what to do or how to feel. I'm not going to give you a five-step plan. What I will do is stay genuinely curious about you, what you want, what gets in the way, and what becomes possible when you have a space to think clearly and feel fully.
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My office is located at KC Well Co., inside the historic Helzberg Building.
There is ample street parking, or our private parking lot just south of the building entrance.
KC Well Co. | 3130 Troost Ave, Suite 202, Kansas City, MO 64109
sarah@sarahrichardsoncounseling.com | 913-601-7280
Let's connect
June 2025 | sarahrichardsoncounseling.com | Sarah Richardson Counseling, LLC
Our Commitment
Sarah Richardson Counseling is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for people with disabilities. We strive to improve the user experience for everyone and to apply relevant accessibility standards to enhance usability and inclusivity. We aim to make our website accessible and usable in accordance with generally recognized guidelines and best practices, including the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA (and/or WCAG 2.2 Level AA), as published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
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We take the following measures to support accessibility: Incorporating accessibility considerations into website design and updates, using accessible color contrast and readable font choices, structuring content with proper headings and semantic HTML where possible, providing alternative text for meaningful images, enabling keyboard navigation where feasible, periodically reviewing our website for accessibility improvements, accessibility is an ongoing effort, and we are continually working to improve.
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Website Accessibility Statement
Sarah Richardson Counseling, LLC
June, 2025
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN ACCESS THIS INFORMATION.
You may have additional rights under Missouri law. If you have questions about your rights, you are encouraged to seek advice from an attorney licensed in your state.
Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”), you have certain rights regarding the use and disclosure of your Protected Health Information (“PHI”). This Notice explains those rights and my legal duties.
I understand that your health information is personal and confidential. I am committed to protecting your PHI and maintaining its privacy. I create and maintain records of the care and services you receive to provide quality treatment and to comply with legal requirements. This Notice applies to all records of your care created or maintained by this practice. I am required by law to: Maintain the privacy of your PHI, provide you with this notice of my legal duties and privacy practices, abide by the terms of this Notice currently in effect, notify you in the event of a breach of unsecured PHI. I reserve the right to revise this Notice at any time. Any revision will apply to all PHI I maintain. The updated Notice will be available in my office and on my website.
I. How I May Use and Disclose Your PHI
The following categories describe ways I may use and disclose your PHI. Not every example is listed, but all permitted uses fall within these categories:
1. Treatment, Payment, and Health Care Operations: I may use and disclose your PHI without written authorization for: to provide, coordinate, or manage your care. This may include consultation with other healthcare providers, to obtain payment for services provided. This may include billing insurance companies or providing documentation required for reimbursement.To support business operations such as scheduling, quality assessment, supervision, licensing requirements, and administrative functions. Disclosures for treatment are not limited to the minimum necessary standard, as providers may need full access to records to ensure quality care.
2. Legal Proceedings: If you are involved in a lawsuit or legal matter, I may disclose PHI in response to a court order. I may also respond to subpoenas or lawful requests if proper legal procedures are followed.
II. Uses and Disclosures Requiring Your Written Authorization
Certain uses and disclosures require your written authorization.
1. Psychotherapy Notes: I maintain psychotherapy notes as defined by HIPAA (45 CFR §164.501). These notes are kept separately from your clinical record. I will not use or disclose psychotherapy notes without your written authorization except: for my use in providing treatment, for training or supervision, to defend myself in legal proceedings initiated by you, for compliance investigations by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, when required by law, to avert a serious threat to health or safety.
2. Marketing: I will not use or disclose your PHI for marketing purposes without your written authorization.
If you provide a testimonial or review and it contains identifiable health information, I will obtain a signed HIPAA authorization before publishing it. You may revoke authorization in writing at any time. Revocation will not affect prior disclosures made in reliance on the authorization.
3. Sale of PHI: I do not sell your PHI.
III. Uses and Disclosures That Do Not Require Authorization
Subject to legal limitations, I may use or disclose your PHI without authorization for: Appointment reminders, information about treatment alternatives or services, when required by federal or Missouri law, public health activities (e.g., reporting abuse or neglect), health oversight activities (audits, licensing), judicial or administrative proceedings, law enforcement purposes, to coroners or medical examiners, to prevent or lessen a serious threat to health or safety, workers’ compensation claims, specialized government functions
IV. Disclosures Requiring Opportunity to Agree or Object
You have the right to decide whether I may share information with family members, friends, or others involved in your care or payment for care. In emergency situations, I may share relevant information if necessary to prevent serious harm.
V. Your Rights Regarding Your PHI
You have the following rights:
1. Right to Request Restrictions: You may request limits on how I use or disclose your PHI. I am not required to agree to all requests. 2. Right to Restrict Disclosure to Health Plans: If you pay for services out-of-pocket in full, you may request that I not disclose related PHI to your health insurer. 3. Right to Confidential Communications: You may request that I contact you in a specific way (e.g., at a certain phone number or address). I will accommodate reasonable requests. 4. Right to Access Your Records: You may request an electronic or paper copy of your records. I will respond within 30 days. A reasonable fee may apply. 5. Right to an Accounting of Disclosures: You may request a list of disclosures made for purposes other than treatment, payment, or operations within the past six years. 6. Right to Request Amendment: If you believe your PHI is incorrect or incomplete, you may request a correction. I may deny the request but will provide a written explanation within 60 days. 7. Right to a Copy of This Notice: You may request a paper or electronic copy of this Notice at any time. 8. Right to Appoint a Personal Representative: If someone has medical power of attorney or is your legal guardian, they may exercise your rights. 9. Right to Revoke Authorization: You may revoke any authorization in writing at any time. 10. Right to File a Complaint: If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, 200 Independence Avenue, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20201, Phone: (877) 696-6775, Website: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.
VI. Changes to This Notice
I reserve the right to modify this Notice at any time. Revised notices will apply to all PHI maintained by this practice and will be made available in the office and on the website.