Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Olynger.
Hi Sarah, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My journey to becoming a trauma therapist wasn’t straightforward. I grew up in a difficult environment, and my teenage years were even harder. By the time I turned 18, I knew I needed to move out of my family home to escape the toxic energy there. At the time, retail felt like the easiest and most practical career path, so that’s where I started. But it didn’t take long for me to realize that it wasn’t aligned with my purpose.
While taking classes at community college, I began to explore career paths that resonated with my soul and realized that the direction I was being pulled in was as a therapist. I decided to follow that nudge, not knowing how long or transformative the journey would be.
I went on to earn two bachelor’s degrees, one in Human Development and one in Sociology, before applying to graduate school. Getting my Master’s in Social Work was one of the most challenging seasons of my life. I was working full time, interning up to 20 hours a week, and trying to maintain relationships and a social life. It stretched me in ways I didn’t expect, but it also solidified my commitment to becoming a therapist.
My first job in the field was with Child Welfare Services, and that experience was both overwhelming and eye-opening. The work was intense, but it confirmed for me that I was in the right field. At the same time, I realized my true calling wasn’t in that system. I wanted to work more deeply with people, to help them heal from the trauma I was seeing every day. That decision led me into therapy, where I also discovered transformative trauma approaches like EMDR, somatic therapy, parts work, and psychedelic-assisted therapies. These modalities expanded my understanding of healing and gave me new ways to support my clients.
Today, I work as a trauma therapist, supporting people who have experienced pain at different points in their lives. What feels most meaningful to me is witnessing transformation and watching people move from being weighed down by trauma to reconnecting with their authentic selves. It’s incredibly rewarding to see clients shift from feeling stuck, scared, and unsure to growing into a place of strength, peace, and self-acceptance.
Looking back, I can see how every part of my story, the painful and the beautiful, has shaped me into the therapist I am today. The wisdom and perspective I carry now exist because of those experiences, not in spite of them. I believe each of us has a purpose in this lifetime, and when you discover it, there’s a sense of clarity and hope that feels endless. I also believe our past, no matter how traumatic or challenging, does not have to define us. We have the capacity to heal, to grow, and to become stronger, truer versions of ourselves, no longer held back, but moving forward with resilience and possibility.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The journey to where I am today hasn’t been easy. Balancing motherhood, marriage, and building a meaningful therapy practice while holding space for my clients’ deepest struggles tested me in every way. Between full-time work, graduate school, and carving out time for self-care, there were moments I wondered if I could manage it all. But each challenge shaped me, deepening my empathy, strengthening my resilience, and teaching me how to show up fully for others while honoring my own needs. Those struggles didn’t hold me back, they became the foundation of the therapist I am today.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
At Seaside Holistic Healing, I specialize in trauma therapy with a focus on EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), mindfulness, spirituality, somatic, and ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. My practice is dedicated to helping people move through the effects of trauma, release old patterns, and reconnect with themselves in a deeper, more authentic way. What sets Seaside Holistic Healing apart is the integrative and compassionate approach, bringing together evidence-based therapy with creativity, spirituality, and nervous system regulation, creating a safe space where true transformation can happen.
I’m most proud that Seaside Holistic Healing offers clients more than symptom relief, guiding them toward rediscovering their sense of wholeness, purpose, and inner strength. Healing here isn’t just about surviving; it’s about reclaiming joy, aliveness, and connection. I want readers to know that Seaside Holistic Healing is a place where therapy becomes a soulful, transformative journey, and it is an honor to walk alongside people as they do this powerful work.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
There are so many apps and books that have guided me along the way and continue to inform my practice. I enjoy apps like Calm and Insight Timer for mindfulness and grounding. Reading has been a huge source of learning for me. Some of my favorite books include:
-The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
-No Bad Parts by Richard Schwartz
-The Theradelic Approach by Julie Holland
-Adventures of the Soul by Michael Newton
-Light on Yoga by B.K.S. Iyengar
-How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan
– Journey of Souls by Michael Newton
– The Light Between Us by Laura Lynne Jackson
-Dying to Be Me by Anita Moorjani
-What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo
When I have time to listen to podcasts, I often turn to Notice That, Let’s Talk EMDR, The Healing Trauma Podcast, The Psychedelic Therapy Podcast, The Higher Practice Podcast, The Psychedelic Report, and The Psychedelic Podcast, all of which inspire me to keep learning and growing both personally and professionally.
Contact Info:
Image Credits
@photobygshaf
