Meet Our Team
Sarah Sparhawk, MSed, LPCC
Sarah, co-founder and co-owner, is an independently licensed professional clinical counselor (LPCC) with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s Degree from the University of Dayton in Clinical Counseling. She has over 15 years of experience working with children, adolescents, young adults and their families who are impacted by behavioral and emotional issues. She provides individual counseling, family counseling, parent training, and school consultations.
Prior to private practice counseling, Sarah worked at Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders for 12 years, providing behavioral interventions and various counseling services. Sarah uses her extensive Cognitive Behavioral Therapy experience to help children who’ve been diagnosed with anxiety, depression, ADHD, obsessive compulsive disorder, and oppositional defiant disorder. Empowering children to navigate the daily challenges that accompany mental health issues is Sarah’s priority.
Parenting can be challenging at times and Sarah knows that parenting guidance can have a huge impact on the overall home environment. When one child or adolescent is impacted by social/emotional issues it can have a ripple effect on the entire family which is why Sarah uses a systems approach to help families heal and repair.
One of the common questions I get asked is when should I seek out therapy for my child/adolescent. The best answer I can give is when the mental health issues start to impact daily functioning whether in the home, school, or community. Children face a multitude of challenges and sometimes need a little extra help navigating socially or emotionally to do their best at home or school. Sarah believes that every child wants to do their best, they just have difficulty always showing that. Sarah works diligently to help her clients meet their full potential and improve their connections with others.
Lynsey Pearson, MSEd, LPCC-S
As a professional clinical counselor, Lynsey Pearson, co-founder and co-owner, has worked with children, adolescents, and their families for more than ten years as they navigate life’s challenges, including trauma, divorce transition, ADHD/behavioral concerns, anxiety, and depression. She has helped parents deal with the behavioral, social and emotional struggles that their children are facing through building strong relationships and using evidence-based practices. Lynsey believes that these types of issues can affect the entire family and enjoys working with children and their families to strengthen, support, and build coping skills.
Adolescence can be a particularly trying time for individuals and their families, regardless of their situation. Lynsey enjoys working with teenagers as they navigate their way from childhood into adulthood.
Trauma, grief, and loss are parts of all our lives but can become overwhelming at times. Traumatic events cover a wide range of events from death to abuse to automobile accidents. If you are struggling with trauma, grief or loss in your life that you just cannot get past, Lynsey is available to talk with you. She uses Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) as well as Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) to help clients through these difficult life situations.
Other specialties include working with children on the autism spectrum, food allergies, self-injurious behaviors, and families currently in custody litigation.
Kathleen Cruse-Grasser, MS, LPCC-S
Kathleen is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor with a Supervision endorsement and owner of Flourish Child and Adolescent Counseling LLC. She has spent over 10 years working with children, teens, and their families who are struggling with managing issues related to anxiety, depression, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, trauma, suicidal ideation, self-harm, substance abuse, and behavioral problems. She has worked with a wide range of families who have different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, as well as, LGBTQ+ youth. Kathleen has worked at Nationwide Children's hospitals and in school systems to help support positive changes with the kids and communities she has served.
Kathleen's style is strengths-based, using the child's and family's strengths to create positive change. She also works from systems perspective, meaning that if one individual is impacted by a stressor or problem, the whole family is impacted. While she targets skills with the child, the therapeutic process also heavily involves the caregiver and possibly teachers, coaches, and other medical professionals in order to impact the family system. Kathleen works from evidence-based therapeutic models, such as, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Skills training (elements from Dialectical Behavioral Therapy; DBT), and Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT).
Many families are seeking counseling as a preventative step, a stop along the way to refuel, or as a last resort. As a parent of two, Kathleen can understand that children and teens may or may not have the choice to come to counseling. Either way, it is her goal and passion to meet them where they are and build a meaningful relationship to help them achieve a healthy and happy life.
Briggs Smith, Intern
Briggs is currently pursuing her MA in Dance Movement Therapy with a focus on Marriage & Family Therapy at Antioch University, building on her previous BA from Kent State University earned in 2019. With a focus on children, teens, and their families, Briggs welcomes those navigating challenges such as anxiety, depression, ADD/ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, physical limitations, and behavioral issues. Her diverse experience spans artistic, community, and early childhood settings, reflecting an approach driven by a strong belief in the power of both traditional and creative interventions to facilitate meaningful change.
Outside of her therapeutic practice, Briggs serves as a Momentum Excellence Teaching Artist in Columbus, OH, using dance, music, and performance to nurture self-confidence, resilience, and teamwork among students in the CPS and Hilliard school districts.
As an aspiring Mental Health Practitioner, Briggs is eagerly seeking clients interested in reaching emotional, social, cognitive, and physical well-being through expressive and artistic approaches.