Sarah Wightman, MA, PLPC, NCC
Areas of Expertise: anxiety, depression, Borderline Personality Disorder, PTSD, non-suicidal self-injury, chronic suicidality, relationship issues, couples counseling, family therapy, self-esteem, women's Issues
Treatments Provided: Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Prolonged Exposure for PTSD (PE)
Education: MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (Wake Forest University, 2025); BA in Psychology, Creative Writing, and Stage Management (Lindenwood University, 2021)
Certifications: DBT Core Certified (MO Department of Mental Health, 2025)
Accepted Insurance Plans: In-network with Cigna/Evernorth, Aetna, straight MO Medicaid, UHC-Community (Medicaid plan), Home State Health (Medicaid plan), and Ambetter (Medicaid plan). Out-of-Network with all other insurances (Superbill can be provided upon request if not utilizing a sliding scale fee).
Private pay fee: $100 per individual session; $125 per couples session (sliding scale sometimes offered).
Sarah Wightman, PLPC (she/her) has earned her master's degree at Wake Forest's CACREP-accredited program in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She is additionally completing requirements for her certification in Gottman Method Couples Therapy and is excited to expand her horizons through her work at Upaya. Her drive for counseling is rooted in her personal experience of the healing powers of therapy and the belief that everyone can benefit from therapy. Sarah is under the supervision of Upaya's Director, Amanda Bittner, PHD, and serves clients (16+) located in Missouri (in-person or telehealth) and Illinois (telehealth-only) via individual, couples, family, and group therapy.
Sarah wants her clients to know that they are not alone and that "progress" can take many forms. Taking the first step of the journey can often be the most difficult stage in the prioritization of mental health. Clients can expect a client-centered, highly validating approach balanced with a focus on the changes clients want to make. Sarah values enhancing her clients' abilities to advocate for themselves, and she commits to establishing a strong working alliance that fosters a desire to continue working collaboratively toward one's wellness goals. Sarah is on the DBT Team at Upaya, leads our adult skills training group, and is core certified in DBT by the state of Missouri's Department of Mental Health.
When Sarah is not at Upaya, she is most likely at the Botanical Gardens or reading in the company of her husband and their cat Marble. Please reach out if you are interested in doing therapy with Sarah by contacting us below or calling 314-252-0675.